Böcker av Kate Valery

In Russia, at night, a despairing young woman of royal blood runs away from her husband's rich estate, carrying her baby in her arms, to a new life as an artist (1896)... In California, on a playground, a 10-year-old girl calls on her cell-phone 911, trying to save her dying grandmother's life (2006) One hundred-and-ten years separate these two events; one hundred-and-ten years of one Russian family, seen from a child's perspective. In the little girl's eyes is reflected the whole portrait of Russia in the 20th century - the historical moments, life style, traditions, mentality, and fates of its people - like one shiny raindrop can sometimes reflect the whole world. Curse of Russia is a page-turner book, with subtle dramaturgic line and amazing real, living characters.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, man and woman communicated via letter, creating entire relationships on paper. Since then, the world has changed. Today, we have the Internet, where dating websites rule the relationship roost. But dating websites are not always safe. Even if you discover a deep connection with someone online, how do you know he or she is really telling the truth?Jana-Kathryn lives in Canada; Nadir lives in Turkey. They are two people who desperately crave to find a soul mate. Unable to find true connections in their countries of residence, they each decide to try online matchmaking. They seem to be a perfect match for each other. Their ongoing communications ring true and feel like dreams to them both. Possibly, these two souls-reaching across an ocean-could live happily ever after ... unless one of them is telling a lie.Is Jana-Kathryn really an intellectual, educated woman looking for love, or is she a criminal, playing brutal games with an unknown agenda? Is Nadir truly the sweet, supportive man he seems to be, or is he a villainous sexual maniac on the prowl? Across an ocean-across worlds-how can these two hopeful people know the truth? How can they put trust in online ghosts? Will they end up together or end up haunted?