Page 17 - Reader's House Magazine

Embark on an unforgettable journey through the sands of time and the depths of the human spirit with ‘Camel from Kyzylkum: A Memoir of My Life Journey’. Join Lara Gelya as she traces her path from the Soviet Union to the shores of America, weaving a tale of hope, resilience, and the quest for freedom.
word. Join us as we delve into the intricate world of Lara Gelya, a literary voyager whose narratives mirror the kaleidoscope of human experiences.
Born in Ukraine and going to school there, Lara Gelya went on for the next 20 years to the Kyzy- lkum Desert of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working at geological sites and expeditions of the Mining Industry. At that time Ukraine
and Uzbekistan were parts of one country—the Soviet Union.
In 1989 Lara left the Soviet Union, lived in Austria and Italy before she, at last, found her way to the United States in 1990. Starting her life from ground zero again, and trying on so many hats, she was able to make a lengthy professional career that led to her eventual retirement on the shores of sunny Florida.
In September of 2022 Lara beca- me an award-winning author as her book, Camel from Kyzylkum, was awarded with the Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
When she isn’t writing or making her videos and pictures, Lara spends most of her time reading, gardening, cooking, traveling the world, wandering through nature, or catching her favourite shows.
What kind of reader were you as a child?
I have loved books from my very early years. Started by reading books by Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak, Agniya Barto,
Who are your favourite writers? Are there any who aren’t as widely known as they should be, whom you’d recommend in particular?
What is a childhood memory that makes you smile?
I was born in Ukraine in the city of Vinnitsa, which is southwest of Kiev, the capital of Ukra- ine. In my earlier years,
I had a girlfriend, named
Natasha. Natasha lived with her parents and a little sister across
the street from us. Natasha and I played together. Her father was a teacher at the university and in his free time he liked to grow gladio- lus flowers in his little yard. Every time I was visiting them during the summer days, he proudly showed me his little garden, explaining all the interesting characteristics of different types of gladiolus plants. Even now I can close my eyes and picture his little garden with a ra- inbow of gorgeous colors, ranging from white, yellow, pink and la- vender, to rose, burgundy, purple, and even black. My love to have flowers around my house comes from that time of my childhood.
Do you remember the first story you ever read and the impact it had on you?
The greatest impact on me in my earlier years was from the novel “Wild Dog Dingo or the Tale of the First Love” written by Ruvim Frayerman. This book and the film shot in 1962 (in the Soviet Union), are still among my favorites.
As you grew older, what are the most important traits from your childhood that you held onto?
I think my personality is cha- racterized by a focus on internal feelings rather than on external sources of stimulation. I’m a very sensitive person. Trustworthiness, honesty, integrity, and loyalty always were and still are very important traits for me.
What attributes make one a great writer?
Attention to detail. Great writers are observers, always taking men-
Boris Pasternak, Konstantin Paustovsky, Ivan Turgenev, Anton Chekhov, Aleksandr Pushkin, to name a few, are among my favori- tes in Russian literature; Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, whom
tal notes and noting subtle changes around them.
What challenges did you face while writing your first memoir?
English is my second language.
I started to learn it when I was 40 years old and I am still learning
it every day. I think everyone can imagine that it was not easy for me to write a book in English.
If you had the power to bring any fictional character from any book or movie or TV series to life, who would it be and why?
Claire Randall/Fraser from Out- lander, played by Caitriona Mary Balfe, an Irish actress, producer, and former fashion model. Claire is independent, headstrong, and cool under pressure. She doesn’t take orders well, and she doesn’t keep quiet. And I love how Jamie calls her with a term of endear- ment: Sassenach. It means a fore- igner. And more specifically, it’s a less-than-kind Gaelic word for an English person. But Clair has no idea that it’s a derogatory term, she knows Jamie’s plainly not trying to insult her. He’s just pointing
*Kyzylkum is a large desert regi- on in Central Asia, spanning across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The name “Kyzyl- kum” translates to “Red Sand” in Turkic languages, describing the reddish tint of the sand found in this desert. It’s one of the largest deserts in the region, characterized by its arid landscape and nomadic settlements.
I discovered after I came to the USA. Among American writers, my favorites are Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Poe, Maya Angelou, and many more. Currently, I’m reading “A Land Remembered”, a novel by Patrick D. Smith, the most outstanding Florida historical novel. I’m not sure if it is widely known, but I can definitely recommend it to readers who love historical novels.
What moves you most in a work of literature?
Language is always the living soul of a narrative, it is like a piece of music specific to the writer’s voice. When I came to the USA in 1990, I did not know any English. It took me about 10 years before I really started to hear and feel the music of the language in different books and distinguish my likes and dislikes when reading books written in English.
What genres do you especially enjoy reading?
Award-winning author Lara Gelya’s interview unveils her vi- brant life journey from Ukraine to the United States, influenced by a love for literature, resil- ience, and a rich tapestry of experiences.
Olga Perovskaya, later Lev Kassil, Anton Chekhov, and many others.
My favorites are historical fiction and classics. I also like memoirs, short stories, inspirational books, and non-fiction books about personal development.
What books and authors have impacted your writing career?
Writers are influenced by
what they see, hear, and read. Most writers were and are avid readers. As a result, the works of other writers influence a writer. As I wrote a memoir of my life
out that she’s strange. After we watched “Outlander”, my husband calls me Sassenach too.
journey I just wanted to tell the World my untold story inside of me.
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