Review : Shasha and Olga by Eva Chapman
Olga escapes from Communist Czechoslovakia with baby Eva in tow. She is not only escaping from tyranny but also from Eva’s father’s family who want to snatch the baby back. Mother and child embark on a ship to Australia as refugees. She meets Sasha on board who falls in love with Olga and her child. Even though he marries Olga he cannot help her overcome her past trauma. Eva bears the brunt of Olga’s extreme and violent mood swings. Olga suffers severe post natal depression after the birth of Valentina . The sudden and unexpected birth of Alexandra several years later tips Olga into psychosis. She believes the new baby to be an alien. She spends the rest of her life incarcerated in a mental hospital. Eva falls out spectacularly with Sasha and escapes to Europe and leaves her family behind.
The new millennium finds Sasha dying of cancer in Adelaide. He is saddened by the loss of his wife Olga to schizophrenia, embittered by the thirty-three-year rift with his step-daughter Eva and heart-broken by the descent of his youngest daughter into the same affliction that claimed his wife. In 1999, Eva, the ostracised daughter sets out to heal the family. This mission takes her on several journeys to Eastern Europe to search for roots, to Australia to face Sasha, and to a past which shocks and enlightens in equal measure. The results far exceed expectations and take many surprising turns. Sasha & Olga, a combination of memoir, narrative history and spiritual journey, is the outcome. Eva feels privileged to bring this story of her family to the general public.
Your life is not supposed to be ALL hard. Life comes with ups and downs and we all must learn how to navigate the highs as well as the lows.
When you think your life is hard and you’re tired of struggling, you don’t want to just stay stuck in your thoughts and your problems; it’s time to find answers that will help you move forward and regain a sense of piece and happiness.
You can ask yourself why life is so hard, or you can start doing something about it. The quality of life your life depends on your willingness to learn and grow. Life will take you outside your comfort zone, whether you want it to or not. So, it’s best to face whatever’s going on with an open mind and heart. It’s also wise to get the help you need so you can go from “Why is my life so hard” to “I never knew life could be this amazing.”
This book made me feel all of the emotions! You can learn alot from Eva's perspective of the world and her blunt attitude. I teared up many times throughout the book, and cried like a baby at the ending.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. There were some very beautiful quotes about life and love. The writing was engaging and super flowery.
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