Illinois Authors

Independently Published 2021

AMERICAN VACATION is the result of one man’s generosity and one woman’s eagerness to give back after having been gifted a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel 12,000 miles into the Wild West for 45 days, through 7 types of natural landmarks, from 260 feet below sea level up to 14,000 feet of altitude. Together, they hiked 170 miles across 33 national, state, and tribal parks discovering iconic places and corners of paradise hidden deep within the North American landscape. Immerse yourself in Raluca’s vivid pages, and you will see wild America through a foreign writer’s eyes who deeply appreciates the beauty of the land, and the way it is respected and preserved by the authorities and visitors. You will laugh and empathize with the author whenever she has to overcome her fears and limits, like climbing down rugged rocks in Spooky Gulch, reaching the summit of Mount White, or simply breaking down with exhaustion and overheating in Arches National Park. American Vacation. 12,000 Miles Into the Wild West is Raluca Barbu's fifth book and the first one in English, the first 4 having been published in her home country, Romania. It is a travel book about the most iconic Western US landmarks, seen through the eyes of a Romanian writer. It is in many respects one-of-a-kind because no other Romanian author has traveled and written about the American West. It provides a foreign writer’s take on the American landscape and tourism through the eyes of a citizen of a former communist country. The book is a homage given both to the beauty of the American outdoors and to young relationships that can blossom in such exotic scenery. As a vivid slice of Raluca’s travel experience, this book stands witness to a small fraction of this world's flawless beauty, which has taken hundreds of millions of years to perfect. What makes American Vacation special is the travel narrative that Raluca has brought back as a literary genre. In a world of Google reviews, travel blogs, and vacation guides she manages to shine a light on the lost art of travel memoirs.

Independently Published 2020

Terapie prin scrisis is published in Romanian. Terapie prin scris English Description Translation: Therapy Through Writing "I am human in all the power of the living word and inevitably go through life fighting fire, water, and earth or leaving myself to the will of the air. Sometimes I have the illusion that I am in control, other times I refuse to believe I know anything. Writing is the anchor I've tossed from place to place, believing that writing being is true and lasting. Writing therapy is a welcoming place for those who know how beneficial reading therapy is. We all sometimes feel the need to retreat for short periods of time from the busyness of our days to find our rhythm, and this is the place where time slows its flight and allows us the right to contemplate. Life is so surprising, and we are too often too busy to admit its richness. We catch its glimpses every day, but too rarely stop to pick them up and carry them with us. Therapy Through Writing is where I have gathered all the sparkles of revelation brought on by some idea, person or experience I have encountered over the course of five years. I have recognized their authenticity and kept them written down in this unhurried place. Then I shared them with my anonymous readers. I wish you to enjoy this oasis of quiet and contemplation in the company of my lines, as it was for me when I wrote them and every time I re-read them." Raluca Translated with DeepL.com (free version)