The Land Of Green Plums

Winner of the 1998 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Set in Romania at the height of Ceausescu's reign of terror, The Land of Green Plums tells the story of a group of young students, each of whom has left the impoverished provinces in search of better prospects in the city. It is a profound illustration of a totalitarian state which comes to inhabit every aspect of life; to the extent that everyone, even the strongest, must either bend to the oppressors, or resist them and perish.

'A powerful autobiographical account, The Land of Green Plums . . . will linger on in the mind and Michael Hofmann's translation is a marvel.' - Guardian

'This is a genuinely moving book. The style . . . develops an almost hypnotic power over the reader.' - Sunday Telegraph