Cursed Beauty

Stories of Strong Women

Published by First Edition Design Publishing

“The author has a sharp eye for detail and never overwrites a scene, giving the stories an authentic flavor. It’s as though readers are dropping into series of one-set stage plays, as our protagonists struggle to deal with life’s circumstances.
Overall, this is a fine collection of stories, and the author shows a real talent for capturing a place, time, character’s voice, and the unspoken feelings of angst that dot every existence.”– San Francisco Book Festival

“… I loved the last story, “Beyond Life”. The way that it was written in the second person was stunning, and I found myself wishing there was more to it because of how elegant but heartbreaking it was.”– Readers’ Favorite Review

Cursed Beauty is a collection of twelve short stories set in Bulgarian cities and villages during the socialism era of the 1980s. In these stories, Bulgarian women–girls, mothers, grandmothers–push up against, resign themselves to, subvert and flee the rigid moral codes of the patriarchal society.

The unifying character of the short stories is the Bulgarian woman, as a girl, as a mother, and as a grandmother. She is vibrant, loving, devoted, but sometimes, abandoned and abused.

Some of the women find a solution, some temporary peace, but some continue their old lives trusting their inner strength to be stronger than the circumstances. The tone is uplifting–pain and hope unite these female characters in their pursuit of love and happiness.