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THE SUNLIGHT LIES BEYOND

Not much mystery is left in the world, but Romania still intrigues. This is precisely where John Arden finds himself. Although rampantly successful for a time in the New York business world, his soul is bare.

In The Sunlight Lies Beyond, we find him living in Romania in 1992, just three years after the collapse of the communist regime. What he discovers is a country where mystery still abounds. This society is amidst the arduous and precipitous transition from communism to capitalism, and he becomes entangled with various people embroiled in this tumultuous world. He begins to attend the struggling National Opera, and is shocked at what he discovers lurks behind the actors’ smiling faces. He also meets a startlingly talented, ambitious businesswoman who is bitterly repressed by society. For the first time, if he can successfully confront the tribulations ahead, he senses the possibility of vanquishing his inner demons.

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“A wry, witty, totally original voice: Justin Kurian’s debut novel is mordant and humorous, with cool, vivid prose.” - Les Plesko, author of The Last Bongo Sunset and Slow Lie Detector

“An utterly fascinating work. The narrator brilliantly conveys the American protagonist’s placid front, a cover for severe dissociation and chaos. The prose is masterful.” - Clive Matson, author of Chalcedony’s Songs

“A powerfully written and romantic work.” - John Culhane, author of Walt Disney’s Fantasia