Ruta Sepetys presents I MUST BETRAY YOU with Romanian Ambassador to the U.S. Andrei Muraru & Kristina Olney, Victims of Communism Foundation
‘A gut-wrenching, startling historical thriller about communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the #1 New York Timesbestselling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.
In Eastern Europe Communist regimes are beginning to crumble. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. In Romania, dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu governs through isolation, fear, and lies. Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He must decide whether he will betray everyone and everything he loves or risk everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give a voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. Through the perspective of the young people most impacted, Ruta Sepetys shines a light on this little-known period of history with I Must Betray You.
A ticket purchase is required to attend the event. Ticket options are listed here.
Ruta Sepetys is the international bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, Salt to the Sea, and The Fountains of Silence. Between Shades of Gray has been adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide.
Ambassador Andrei Muraru was appointed by the President of Romania as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the United States in 2021. From 2014 to 2021, he was Senior Advisor to the President of Romania. Prior to advising the president, he worked at the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile since its foundation in 2006, holding different offices, from expert-researcher to Executive President. He holds a PhD, MA and BA in History from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași.
Kristina Olney is the Director of Government Relations for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. In addition to working on foreign affairs and religious freedom issues on Capitol Hill, she has participated in numerous fellowships and academic seminars and has provided commentary and interviews for publications including First Things, the National Review, The Hill, and Washington Examiner. Kristina holds an M.A. in international economic relations from American University’s School of International Service and completed her B.A. in international relations at the Australian National University.’
Ages 12 and up
Source: Politics And Prose Bookstore