Din Calidor

Paul Goma’s Din Calidor recalls his childhood in Mana. It is a village in Bessarabia. Stalinist rule shapes this world, with harsh limits on life. The state forces people to farm as a group. Yet the child sees this world with wonder and innocence. In his mind, his home village means more than a place.

This novel draws on Goma’s own early life. It links his early years with the pain of history. Goma tries to keep what childhood gave him. He longs for his lost home and seeks justice. That longing helps shape his search. His spare prose has a quiet, song-like grace. He avoids details that paint a quaint or pretty scene. This edition forms part of the Cartier popular series.