“WHILE THERE IS ‘POOR’ and some outright poverty, Romania is not suffering economic
impoverishment as much as mental and emotional dysfunction; they are recovering more than developing.” In this way the author describes Romania’s condition from her experience there as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2001 to 2003. Fortunately, some positive governance changes have occurred in Romania since her service, primarily through positive pressures via the EU accession process.
We Wait For You is an interesting narrative of the author’s experience as a “business” Volunteer in a transitional Romania which — until very recently — was unable to break the hold of the Communists cum Socialists who were responsible for Romania’s devastation for the past 50 years. Dedicated in December, 2004 and printed last year, the book draws heavily from the author’s diary as a Volunteer in her 50s serving without her spouse which provides an unusual and interesting perspective.
My interest stems from my own, limited experience with Romania, first as the Peace Corps Country Director in Bulgaria from 1996 to 1998 benefiting from the tales of my Volunteers who visited Romania and Volunteers from Romania touring Bulgaria. In 2000, I visited Bucharest for a week on business as Peace Corps Chief of Operations for Europe and Asia. I found Romania fascinating and beautiful in spite of the ravages of its tortured history and unique culture. We Wait For You added to my understanding and appreciation of Romania. It also renewed my appreciation for the challenges of being a Peace Corps Volunteer in that part of the world.
Ms. Townson’s narrative is very personal and emotive, focusing much on relationships between her and her Romanian friends and colleagues. It does not provide a smooth read, however, and I found it difficult to maintain my interest. Self-published, the book could have benefited from professional editing. The characters might be more robustly developed, the culture more extensively explored and descriptions of the economic and political environment more informative.
There is, in sum, too little about Romania and Romanians for my taste, but there are numerous insights and revelations. For those interested in Romania, the book should prove interesting, as it was for me. For the rest, it will remain a book with much potential, but a work in progress nonetheless.
