by Ellis Shuman
Rating: *****
Rakiya is a beautifully crafted collection of a dozen character-driven short stories that effortlessly immerse the reader into Bulgaria's cultural fabric, history, and traditions by subtly straddling the genres of travel memoir, mystery, and romance.
Shuman unfolds his absorbing little narratives in first and third-person perspectives, through the eyes and everyday experiences of seemingly ordinary Bulgarians and those visiting the country.
Connecting motifs and characters thread through most of Shuman’s twelve intriguing tales. Some references are so nuanced as almost to be missed, and some are sharply pointed in their association.
The book opens with the titular story, Rakiya, which is a fruit-based, highly alcoholic traditional Bulgarian drink. It is a strong opener, with a gently surprising conclusion that lends the piece the undeniable feel of a parable.
Immediately, Shuman’s prose impresses with innate confidence and polish. His writing has a timeless quality, which is elegant and sprinkled with precise yet subtle observations and thoughtful interpretations.
Mother and Daughter is achingly well-observed. Shuman places his characters before the reader without judgment or guidance, yet knowingly develops them and layers their stories to reveal unexpected motives and desires.
Volcano changes point of view and occasionally takes on a symbolic, hubristic quality. It’s the first story involving a non-Bulgarian, an Israeli businessman, a character who features in different guises in several of the shorts.
Cave was atmospherically good if a little tropey. Nonetheless, Shuman is clever to ensure each story offers another aspect of the country, figuratively or literally, and in the case of Cave, mythically.
Sozopol is one of the longer stories and Shuman packs it with ambiguous meanings and literary devices that toy with reader expectations and unsettle preconceptions, like a number of these stories do. Musala is a nice little slice of cultural folklore set against the dramatic backdrop of Bulgarian’s mountainous region.
The next two stories, The Baker, and Three Women in Sofia, are possibly the strongest. Wonderfully realized with characters that step from the page. The twist at the end of the latter story, deftly hiding in plain sight all along.
The Bear was different in tone, with a simmering aggression and frustration, which mirrored the brothers’ dynamic. Lockdown has a feeling of foreboding from the beginning, and so it proves.
A couple of the stories might have benefitted from more definitive endings but, nonetheless, Shuman has a knack for intriguing readers with what lies just outside the narrative frame.
Notwithstanding, Forgiveness is a powerful piece that delves into Bulgaria’s history and role during WWII, primarily toward Jewish Bulgarians, through an elderly Bulgarian man’s search for atonement from the grandson of the friend he wronged so terribly.
The final offering, The Train Stops in Plovdiv, was the perfect choice to conclude. An upbeat, jaunty little tale that neatly book-ends with the first story and is littered with a selection of individuals and narrative strands from the previous stories.
Rakiya: Stories of Bulgaria is an engrossingly good collection of stories that captivate and educate. Well worth a read.
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Nice review! I'm going to check this one out :)