Living with a Scent of Danger

Book excerpt: RISKY ADVENTURES AT THE PARTING OF THE IRON CURTAIN... This memoir is an insider's view of the momentous events surrounding the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, pinpointing its effect on individual lives. The author and her husband, Walter Stankievich, participate in stealthy meetings with dissidents behind the Iron Curtain; and at a Congress in Minsk, where the Foreign Minister warns the emigres against demanding greater changes. Walter's work at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty motivates his actions, and takes them from suburban New Jersey to Munich and Prague. "Your memoir captures perfectly, in many details, and in an overall spirit, the period of time which I also lived through." - Jana Outratova, a statistician and IT manager, who founded the Prague International Women's Network; also the wife of a former Czech Senator. "This book is a living history. . . .You are in for quite a ride. Fasten your seat belts." - Alexander Lukashuk, Belarus Service Director at RFE/RL. Author Biography: Daydreams of exciting adventures in far-off places during a Depression-era farm childhood geared the author, Joanne Ivy Stankievich, to seek new experiences in life. Marriage to Walter Stankievich, a Belarusian activist, propelled her into realizing many of those dreams. Joanne's early journalism training motivated her to chronicle their years in Europe at the end of the Cold War so that this insider's story could later be shared with others. After those exhilarating years, she and Walter now stay active on the New Jersey Shore near their two sons; their travels are more often to the Caribbean, where they enjoy snorkeling.