The Last Patient
by Tudor Alexander
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Pub Date 18 Feb 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
THE LAST PATIENT is a sweeping historical novel that captures one family’s struggle for love, survival, and identity under the grip of Communism in Romania. Spanning fifty years of political upheaval, this saga explores how ordinary lives are shaped—and sometimes shattered—by extraordinary times.
Kostea and Clara meet and fall in love shortly before World War II. As they get married, build careers, and raise a son, the world around them changes rapidly—and often violently. From the two-bedroom apartment they are “patriotically” forced to share with another family, to Bucharest’s rampant food shortages, Romania’s Cold War history plays out in their day-to-day lives.
Kostea, a charming yet domineering surgeon, craves control in a place where party loyalists hold the reins of power. His pursuit of respect and authority threatens his promising medical career and his relationships at home, risking Clara’s love. While the temptation to break through the Iron Curtain is omnipresent, defection to the West comes with its own uncertainties. Ultimately, The Last Patient is a poignant exploration of the eternal tension between personal aspirations and love.
Advance Praise
“This novel shows the forces that drive even those who love their homeland to leave it and start their lives over. A moving story populated with rigorously delineated characters, The Last Patient is an especially important book now, when immigration to the United States is increasingly misunderstood.”
—J. Wynn Rousuck, author of Please Write: A Novel in Letters and award-winning theater critic at WYPR, Baltimore’s NPR Affiliate
“Tudor Alexander pays close attention to the juxtaposition of personal and political climate, bringing characters to life that are experiencing the blows of decisions they no longer make for themselves . . . as they raised families, faced the usual concerns of aging and change, and forged new pathways of discovery and life against a political backdrop that was anything but kind.”
—Diane Donovan for the Midwest Book Review
“What is a triumph for author Tudor Alexander is his realistic portrayal of characters . . . who seem so familiar and endearing that often painful concepts like party loyalty and food shortages matter less than its culture of deeply loving family ties and traditions.”
—Laurie Devine, bestselling author of The Devine Sagas
“At once intimate and sweeping in scope, the novel evokes the specifics of time and place through deeply atmospheric prose and dialogue that rings utterly true. With both clarity and compassion, Alexander depicts the dreams and desires, strengths and frailties of each of his characters.”
—Lauren Goodsmith, author of The Path of the Sun
“Alexander expertly captures the era’s essence through detailed descriptions and well-developed characters, bringing the past to life with vivid realism. The book invites reflection on the impact of history on individual lives, making it a meaningful addition to the genre . . . The Last Patient is a masterful blend of historical detail and personal drama.”
— Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite
“Love and loyalty, loss and resilience . . . make this novel a celebratory reminder of the humanity present in every nation and culture around the globe.”
—Kate Robinson for the US Review of Books
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781633378858 |
| PRICE | |
