Description
Book Synopsis*** A MUST READ FOR TRAVELERS TO CROATIA *** Mother Tongue is an exploration of lives lived in the chaos of a part of the world known as the Balkans. It follows the lives of three generations of women―Katarina, Zora, and Tania―over the last 100 years. It follows countries that dissolved, formed, and reformed. Lands that were conquered and subjugated by Fascists and Nazis and nationalists. Lives lived in exile, in refugee camps, in new worlds. Tania Romanov’s story clarifies the history and geography of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro by pulling you into the lives of real people. It makes those countries come alive. And through it all glows a love of language. What is your mother tongue? What language did you speak with your mother? What language did you speak with your father? What language did you speak with your brother? For Tania Romanov there are three different answers to those questions. Did you speak your mother tongue with anyone except your mother? That is the most bizarre question of all. But for Tania Romanov, the answer is no. She spoke a unique language with her mother, one in which she is still fluent. And by the way, it was not her mother's native language. The language is Serbian. Tania's mother was Croatian. Her father was Russian. Tania was born in Serbia, but left when she was six months old. She and her brother grew up in San Francisco speaking English. She didn't speak any language until she was two. Tania doesn't know why she spoke Serbian, rather than Croatian, with her mother Zora. It never occurred to her to ask until she started writing her memoir. And by then, her mother was gone. The country of birth listed on Tania's American passport changed four times in four successive renewals. Until the first time, she believed your country of birth was a fixed point. Today she knows better. Go with her as she journeys through time and history looking for answers, and finding some.
Table of Contents1: Going home PART I: KATERINA 2: The baby who wouldn't wait 3: Surviving the War 4: Balkanization 5: Post war crises 6: Finding another way 7: Starting over 8: Haven in Yugoslavia 9: World War II 10: Zora finds her way 11: Visiting their homeland 12: Medulin farewell 13: Katarina PART II: ZORA 14: A best friend's wedding 15: Meeting Tolya 16: Belgrade and marriage 17: The golden child 18: Cold War threatens 19: Tania born to crisis 20: Exiled again 21: Campo San Sabba 22: Campo family 23: Sasha in Italian Hospital 24: Zora's ultimatum 25: Babusya's last stand 26: Leaving Zhenya 27: The SS Constitution 28: San Francisco, home 29: Speak Serbian, Tania 30: The Greg 31: Losing Tolya 32: Taking Zora to Medulin 33: Finding Cousin Milan 34: Visitors from America 35: Zora learns her real name 36: San Sabba secrets Epilogue About the Author
