Irina VanPatten is an American Pacific Northwest writer with Eastern European roots, from Republic of Moldova. Her writing style marries the best of these two worlds. She draws from the reach roots of her culture, but bakes her own American literary cake with a blended sense of humor: sharp, yet warm; edgy, yet tender. She brings her perspective of past life experiences from behind the Iron Curtain which creates a unique blend of East versa West points of view in her writing.
Irina has released her new book Mail-Order Family – a charming and relatable true-life story which reads like a comedic novel, that, at times, goes to some dark places, with lots of twists and turns, and with a never-give-up attitude. It’s an international romance, a love story about two misfits, literally two worlds apart.
It starts with Irina, a spunky divorcée with two young children, trying to build a new life on the ruins of a collapsed Soviet Union empire in a small Eastern European country called Moldova, where the world around her has turned upside down.
The nouveau riche with golden chains are running the new country and the police are no longer able to protect their citizens. Irina’s desperately looking for a way out when, by chance, she finds out about online dating. Suddenly, she discovers a world that was nothing like she expected, and it’s full of characters. Hilarity is assured as Irina tries to sort out the good men from the bad with her own family constantly in her way, My Big Fat Greek Wedding style.
Finally, she captures the heart of an American named David. East eventually meets West, and the two worlds collide as the tall, loud, and unconventional American tries to fit in with Irina’s family, and Irina discovers that David is far from a charming prince.
As Irina’s own Cinderella story is about to begin, she watches in horror on TV as the Twin Towers go down in flames, and her hopes of getting to America burn with them. She’s back to her rags, right where she started. But her journey to America is far from over.
Below is Irina VanPatten’s statement:
“What a year this 2021 has been, with the pandemic raging and all! In such times, people hunker down, regroup, and wait and see before making a life changing decision. But for me, it was a booster, a kick in the ass that I needed to just go for it, and never look back, no matter what happens. So, this April I quit my previous job to concentrate full time on my writing and have my book Mail-Order Family published already! I worked on it for several years over the weekends, after business hours, on my vacation, typing away, crying and laughing over my keyboard, even during beautiful summer days instead of going out in nature and playing. I was determined to get this baby out in the world, where it belongs. So, it’s finally here!
It was not easy to find my footing as a Moldovan writer who writes in English. I was searching for MY storytelling style, for the right tone, the right combination of humor and seriousness. How far can I push? How much culture can I insert, considering that not many in America know about my little country? What words will reach the American readers beyond my community? It was all an experiment! And now, I am at the finish line.
I am here to represent women in my community, who, perhaps, lived through a similar experience, or knew someone who did, but, for whatever reason, their story was never told. I am here to speak up for the American Romanian writers who want to tell their stories, and to show that we can be funny, edgy, and brutally honest, not even sparing ourselves if the art demands it.
I hope you’ll enjoy Mail-Order Family, and get a kick out of my writing style, which, I am told, is a mixture of David Sedaris and Anton Chekhov. Thank you for your support!”
More information about Irina on her writer’s website: https://irinavanpatten.com/
Her books can be purchased directly from her website: https://irinavanpatten.com/mail-order-family
Or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail…/dp/1598493108/ref=sr_1_1
Irina VanPatten, author
