When I began researching I Must Betray You, my thoughts immediately turned to the Romanian children and students living under the Ceau?escu regime—innocent young people who felt deeply and passionately as they were coming of age but were powerless to direct the course of their life. Radio Free Europe and Voice of America provided crucial links to the free world. Books, films, magazines, and music were windows to democracy. Some scholars have stated that VCRs and movies from the West exposed teens to concepts of freedom and loaded the guns that eventually killed Ceau?escu. As with my other novels, it was the desperate plight of the young people that I chose to focus on.
Although most communist regimes in Eastern Europe transitioned without violence, when revolution arrived in Romania, brave citizens faced a hail of bullets and bloodshed. Students took to the streets in Timi?oara, Bucharest, and many other cities, armed with nothing but courage. Hearts defiant and desperate to free their country, young people willingly put themselves in the path of destruction and in some cases, attacked Ceau?escu’s weaponry with their bare hands. Their bravery, their heart—it was astounding. They gave their lives for freedom and will forever remain heroes of the revolution.
Communism in Romania did not end with the death of the Ceau?escus. After the execution, a replacement set of communists took over, and for many years, some of the preexisting networks remained supported. Some began to question the legitimacy of the revolution. As such, there was no clear or satisfying “ending” to the period. Things were confusing, questions remained—and still remain. I’ve tried to reflect that in the epilogue. As a reader, unanswered questions and sadness may feel frustrating, but it’s difficult to grasp how frustrating it must feel for those who actually experienced the events.
Unlike other countries who opened their secret police files for review and a path to atonement, Romania’s Securitate files remained closed for over fifteen years. It’s alleged that during that time, some files were altered or destroyed. Historical lustration—the process of clarifying—is ongoing in Romania.
To further complicate matters, while innocent Romanian citizens grappled with the consequences of the revolution, they unfairly inherited responsibility for the dysfunction caused by the communist leaders. In the early ’90s, reports of orphanages and poverty distilled a partial narrative about the country and the time period. But without the context of Ceau?escu’s fertility tyranny and the ongoing battle with communism, the outside world wasn’t privy to the full story.
Also underrepresented is the experience of Romania’s Jewish population. At one time Romania had nearly seven hundred thousand Jewish residents. In 1989 only twenty-three thousand remained. Ceau?escu demanded a per-head payment for Jewish inhabitants to be relocated to Germany, Israel, or other countries. In a nation of nearly twenty million people, Romania’s Jewish population today is approximated at only three thousand.
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Ceau?escu betrayed his own country and countless other countries. His particular brand of national communism and his use of the Securitate caused trauma and plural identity, at times forcing Romanians to betray even themselves. In addition, by isolating the country and its people, Ceau?escu robbed the world of access to Romanian culture and history. Recent studies have shown that some believe Transylvania to be a fictional place and are unaware that it’s a beautiful, historic region in Romania.
I hope that through reading I Must Betray You, readers might be inspired to research the histories of the captive nations, the fall of communism in Europe, and, most relevant to this story, the incredible fortitude and endurance of the Romanian people. Romania joined the European Union in 2007 and continues to make progress. How can we assist that progress?
We can share their story.
History is the gateway to our collective story and the story of humanity. Historical fiction allows us to explore underrepresented stories and illuminate countries on the map. But as an author, I have nothing without readers. Thank you for reading this novel. Please share the history with someone. As I acknowledge in the “Research and Sources” section, there were true witnesses who greatly informed my research but for various reasons requested to remain anonymous. With an adequate buffer of time, perhaps one day we can look upon events with a wide lens of reflection and create a compassionate environment for people to take ownership of their own story.
And finally, to the students and young readers: You are the stewards of history who will carry our fading stories into the future. I am so honored to work with you and I am so honored to write for you. Please remember that when adversity is drawn out of the shadows and recognized, we ensure that human beings living under oppression—past and present—know they are not forgotten.