Aura Imbarus - Out of the Transylvania Night

Unforgettable! This book gives the pioneerspirit courage and the brave heart bravado.

Adrian Maher, filmmaker, DiscoveryChannel

* *

If you grew up hearing names like Tito, Mao,and Ceauescu but really didnt understand their significance, readthis book!

Mark Skidmore, Paramount Pictures

* *

A remarkable account erasing a past, but notan identity. Thought-provoking, inspirationaland comforting.

Todd Greenfield, 20th Century FoxStudios

* *

This book is sure to find its place inmemorial literature of the world.

Beatrice Ungar, editor-in-chief,Hermannstdter Zeitung

* *

Out of the Transylvania Night is a compellingand spell-binding story of a fiercely independent young womangrowing up at the height of worldwide Communist power and then therapid fall of the Iron Curtain. We must never forget what her storyultimately teaches ...

Sharrie Williams, author, TheMaybelline Storyand the Spirited Family Dynasty behind It

* *

Under Communism, Auras family lost itsfortune but kept their jewels. Under capitalism, she made a fortuneand lost the jewels. And then lost the fortune as well. Such is theparadox found within the pages of this amazing and unforgettablestory.

Lindy Hudis, producer, IMPACT MotionPictures

* *

We all have much to learn about freedom;certainly anyone born without it will search until they find it.This is an incredible story about pain, strength, courage,defiance, and healing.

David Haspel, producer

* *

Out of the Transylvania Night presents anemotional journey through both free and closed societies, revealinghow freedom is also found in the self and not only thedestination.

Ilie T. Ardelean, founding chairmanand president, Romanian-American Professional Network (RAPN)

* *

Out of the Transylvania Night is an excitingand truly memorable search for personal freedom.

Alexander R. Marmureanu, MD,president and CEO, California Heart and Lung Surgery Center, UCLAMedical Center

* *

To remember is a tedious, hurtful process,especially if you lived what us Romanians did. Many of us prefer toforget and to erase, once for all, those humiliating memories. But,can you really annul your childhood? Auras capacity to rememberand to dream makes this a book for all who, at one point oranother, need to restart or reboot their livesand in her case, tofind a new country to call home.

Daniela Crasnaru, famous Romanianpoet

* *

There are many beautiful places in the world,and Im sure this book will put Romania on your list of must seecountries. Auras story is an eye-opener about the beauty andrichness of the culture and people of Romania, and I applaud herfor sharing these experiences with us.

Mike Costache, president, MissUniverse Romania Organization

* *

Out of the Transylvania Night reveals, beyondall doubt, the power and range of an individuals voice to be heardabove the noise of dissent and the struggle to reign overoppression.

Prof. Rajen Vurdien, PhD, SaddlebackCollege, and former diplomat, United Nations Development Programlanguage coordinator in China

* *

Out of the Transylvania Night is a testamentto the majesty of the human spirit to see how far we will go totriumph over oppression and adversity. We are better for thejourney through this book.

Catalina Popescu, Romanian celebrity,founder of the famous Catalina Bar and Grill Jazz Club

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 by Aura Imbarus, PhD

All rights reserved, including the right toreproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission inwriting from the publisher, except for brief passages in connectionwith a review.

About the Cover:The heavy-lidded, lens-shapedskylights known as the eyes of Sibiu, dating back to the 14thcentury, are a familiar sight in Transylvania. Once used to allowfresh air into attics where food was stored, under Ceauescusregime the eyes were used to watch and spy on Romanians.

The eyes tower over the famous landmark,Liars Bridge (built in 1859), the first iron-cast bridge inRomania, built to connect the upper town to the lower town. Legendhas it that if you told a lie while standing on the bridge, itwould collapse.

The emblem is Sibius coat of arms,displaying the two swords used by the founders of the city to markthe place where the city was built some eight centuries ago.

Disclaimer: This is a true story and thecharacters are real, as are the events. However, in some cases,names, descriptions, and locations have been changed. Someincidents have been altered and or combined for storytellingpurposes. In some cases, time has been condensed for narrativepurposes, but the overall chronology is an accurate depiction ofthe authors experience.

Cover design by Tatomir A. Pitariu and JaneHagaman

Cover photo by Emily M. Yeo

Photograph of author by Martin MannPhotography

Bettie Youngs Books are distributedworldwide. If you are unable to order this book from your localbookseller or online or Espresso, you may order directly from thepublisher.

BETTIE YOUNGS BOOK PUBLISHERS

http://www.bettieyoungsbooks.com/

ISBN 978-0-98430-812-5

Library of Congress Control Number:2010905292

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First and foremost, to my Rica, my amazingmother; you have always loved me to the core, even from the beyondin which we are promised, I will send an angel to guard you alongthe way. I am eternally grateful for being loved by you. Dad, youare my rock and my safety net! Michael, you are my soul mate!

To Buni, Grandpa, and Aunt Bettie for holdingmy hands and heart throughout my childhood! And to the entireImbarus family who instilled within me a warrior spirit! To NeluGandila and my Chiorean familyyou have been supportive of me, andI thank you for it. Emily, my sweet, bright goddaughter, you are ashining light.

When friends go the distance for you, theyare called extended family: Monika Szekely, Adriana Constantin,Mark and Diana Skidmoreyou are this to me, and more.

To the love and friendship of Fashi and YafaLavi; Sam and Leslee Mayo; Robert Razvan Redford, Carmen Carrillo,Corina and Adrian Tatomir Pitariu, Ingrid Bedrosian, Voicu and InaCerghizan: your kindness buoys me, and I am grateful you are in mylife. Dumitru Ciocoi-Pop and familymy admiration for you is awonderful contribution to my life. From those early days of growingup with family who taught me that to be educated is a way to knowfreedom, the pursuit of education has always been profoundlyimportant to me. So thank you to Dr. John Schmitt for your vote ofconfidence in my becoming an educator.

Not many times in life do we meet someone whoteaches us to dream bolder and paint in colors more fascinatingthan we might otherwise do for ourselves. In meeting Bettie Youngs,all have been true for me. Thank you, Bettie, for believing in meand for helping me to give life to the potent memories that laydormant so deep within my heart, ones whose power in me and overme, I thought Id surely have to deny in this lifetime. To havelived both in a country at war under a brutal Communist regime andin the City of Angelswhere individual liberty glitters as brightas the lights of Hollywood is, for me, a great paradox. Writingabout these dichotomies has been both difficult, and freeing.