Sunless Shadows: A story of love and adventure

David is a man who grew up during the Cold War years in a time when his world condemns the Soviet Union without understanding the people and places. He developed a fascination with Russia because of the events he lived, the dread of nuclear war, the Cuban missile crisis, as well as Hollywood's favorite bad guy of those times, the Soviets. His coincident dread and curiosity later became eager anticipation, and a decade after the fall of communism he decided he must travel there to find for himself what surprises Russia held for him.

In reality, this book is not about how to travel to Russia; it is actually a journey through life. Overall, it is a love story between a Westerner and a Russian woman. You will enter David's mind and heart and thrill with him, as he discovers that feelings know no physical barriers and are only subject to fate and time.

We discover also that Siberia is a real place with real people. The story is hilarious at times, simply trying to get a taxi or order food, or paying the cashier at a grocery store in a place where almost nobody spoke English. It is presented joyously, as it actually happened.

It's a tale of two distinct cities, Kogalym and Moscow. The first in Siberia, a place seemed frozen in time but like the story of Doctor Zhivago, a land fertile for passion and love despite the glacial temperatures. Moscow, in the other hand, is presented as a "metropolis revolving in dynamics, European, both new and historic."

This is a story with many unanticipated events that seemed to be connected just by destiny, particularly David's encounter with Natasha in Kogalym and with Tasha in Moscow. These events appeared to have been scripted before they happened.

It is a modern romance story that starts with real life Internet scams, deception; but more importantly, we find ourselves changed along with David, spellbound at the gracious temperament of the Russians, captivated by the beauty of their women, and changed, ultimately, from insulated Westerner to a friend of the Russian people.