Book review: A British writer’s take on life in a Transylvanian village

Here’s my cure for the last holiday season emotional rollercoaster: two collections of stories written by a British writer who now lives in Romania’s Transylvania.

Mike Ormsby’s books “Never Mind the Vampires, Here's Transylvania” and “Palincashire - Tales from Transylvania” are filled with humor and a good understanding of the tough life in a Romanian mountain village. A British author, former BBC journalist and World Service trainer, Mike Ormsby now lives in a village in the Carpathian mountains with his Romanian wife Angela Nicoara, who works in media development. They’ve built a base there, together with their four cats and three dogs. His two most recent books, published in September last year, are written from the perspective of an outsider - who can’t remain just an outsider - and of a curious observer who will eventually intervene in what he sees around. This becomes clear from the first story of the “Palincashire - Tales from Transylvania” volume. Mike meets an elderly woman in the center of Brasov, with “sad eyes”, who looks hungry and tries to sell him “The Brothers Grimm Book”. He makes a quick calculation, “It’s a vintage hardback in Romanian with good illustrations, and she needs the cash”. So he buys it. Shortly after, Mike encounters Rushinta, a little girl, begging for money in the railway station. He offers her the books as a present, but the little girl is surprised. Why did you give me the book, she asks. “Rushinta, books are important. They are the key to your future, they will open doors in your life.” The British writer is accompanied by a series of helpers. One of them is the charismatic vet. Good-looking, always wearing sneakers, sarcastic, but with a big heart, the vet agrees to operate stray dogs without charging any fee. The main helper is Angela, Mike’s wife. Born in Romania, Angela understands better the realities of this country. She is brave, caring and dares to confront injustices in the village. Reading their adventures together feels like a love story. Walking, drinking tea, reporting together, helping neighbors: Angela and Mike are a team, true partners in crime. When one is down, the other is there for support. “Driving home, past fragrant meadows where wildflowers bloom and moocows moo, my wife doesn’t say much. Too disappointed, probably. She needs cheering up. -Angela, I have an idea. Let’s build a Hindu temple in our garden. Buy lots of monkeys from India. Invite some Hare Krishna devotees to have a procession round the village. Get-it-on, bang-a-gong. She smiles, eventually. - Be serious." In one of the stories called “Run for Your Life”, Mike and Angela accompany Bogdan, a little boy from the village, to a sports competition. The boy is thirsty for recognition, but his parents are just too busy with work to give him that. Bogdan is thrilled when Mike and Angela come see him and cheer for him. After the competition, on the way back home, they meet the young boy’s parents.