Blurred

In rural Transylvania, a young wife fearing for her unborn child takes a sleigh ride through all-enveloping snow. BLURRED tells the story of that child, Samuel, through the voices of those who know him. The boy grows up behind the Iron Curtain under the brutal Ceausescu regime in Romania, where language masks truth and even minor acts have repercussions. Harsh political realities are counterbalanced by the rhythms of village life. Samuel's story builds through places, memories, his family, the acts of individuals and all the ways in which we affect others. What happens when one decides to stay - but others must stay? What becomes of those who migrate, and where do they really belong? This moving story of exile and migration encompasses one century and many lives with remarkable depth and also brevity. Iris Wolff's lyrical yet precise prose evokes a lost time and a scattered people in this multiply-prize-winning novel.