Această dragoste care ne leagă. Reconstituirea unui asasinat

Doina Jela shows how Romania’s communist state tried to break a family bond. Her history draws on records of state abuse. It tells of a mother and her daughter. The mother was Ecaterina Bălăcioiu-Lovinescu (1887–1960). Her former husband, Eugen Lovinescu, was a literary critic. Their daughter was Monica Lovinescu (1923–2008). Monica spoke out against the regime. She had lived in France since 1947.

In 1955, the Securitate began to target the mother. She had retired and led a quiet life. Agents and informers tracked her and tapped her phone. They made threats and tried blackmail. They made false promises and claimed to offer help. They wanted her to urge Monica to return to Romania. She would not betray her daughter.

The state arrested her in 1958, when she was 71. A court sentenced her to 18 years in harsh prison conditions. Her crime was speaking against the regime. She spent time in Malmaison, Uranus, Jilava and Văcărești prisons. She died in the prison hospital at Văcărești.

This third edition adds footnotes and two sets of texts in appendices. One is an interview with Dr Liviu Mureșan of Cluj. He is part of her Pleșoianu-Bălăcioiu family. He is also her sister’s grandson. The other set holds records Clara Mareș found in Securitate archives. Jela could not use these files when she first wrote the book. They show pressure on the Untaru family. They add depth to her account of Virgil Ierunca’s loyal support.

Jela adds a note on her changes to this edition. The book keeps the second edition’s opening text. A closing section traces the lives of the Securitate agents involved. It also has documents with no edits or comments. An index lists names.