Bottled Goods
SynopsisPlot
'When Alina's brother-in-law defects to the West, she and her husband become persons of interest to the secret services, causing both of their careers to come grinding to a halt. As the strain takes its toll on their marriage, Alina turns to her aunt for help - the wife of a communist leader and a secret practitioner of the old folk ways. Set in 1970s communist Romania, this novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles that can't be put down. 'A story to savour, to smile at, to rage against and to weep over.' - Zoe Gilbert, author of 'Folk'
Story
About this book
Bottled Goods is a novella-in-flash by Sophie van Llewyn, set in 1970s Romania under communist rule. The story follows Alina, whose life shifts abruptly after her brother-in-law defects to the West. She and her husband are placed under scrutiny by the secret services, and both lose professional standing as a result. The pressure begins to fracture their marriage from the inside.
Alina seeks support from her aunt, who occupies an unusual position in this world. The aunt is married to a communist official, yet she also practices older folk traditions in private. This tension between state authority and inherited custom runs through the book, and van Llewyn uses elements of magic realism to give shape to forces that are difficult to describe in plain terms: fear, loyalty, superstition, and the small negotiations people make to survive under surveillance.
The book is structured as a series of short, compressed chapters rather than continuous prose. It was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2019, the Republic of Consciousness Prize in 2019, and the People's Book Prize in 2018. Van Llewyn was born in Romania and later settled in other parts of Europe.
