Adriana Galstyan is a talented young writer living in New York City. In her debut novel entitled “The Birthday Letter,” which was published in 2021, the writer adopts an analytical and detached stance toward the pressing political events happening around the globe. Her observations are sharp, humorous and often outrageously hilarious. Her words weave together a mosaic of characters that pull at the reader’s heart strings while staying true to the facts and the fiction that make for great literature.
As Adriana Galstyan is from Moldova, her decision to marry an American in order to live in America while preserving her national identity is poignant. Although her decision may seem selfish and self-centred at first, it eventually becomes clear that she has other motivations for her decision. Her choice of a partner with an entirely different nationality brings up questions regarding the nature of her identity and even her own identity. At one point, she even wonders whether she is really American or just a Moldovan, given her choice of clothing and her accent. All this is illuminated in the interlacing romance and family politics that permeate The Birthday Letter, as it is a novel about how people come to terms with their individuality despite being part of a group or nation.
Adriana Galstyan is well known for her writing on topics as diverse as Russian culture, global travel, Russian politics and Eastern Europe. Her international experience and the resulting insights into people and places draw the reader in and make them part of the reading experience. Readers will be pleasantly surprised by The Birthday Letter, given that it manages to be engaging and moving while maintaining a critical viewpoint. Readers who appreciate intelligent storytelling will enjoy Galstyan’s debut, which make perfect reading material for those interested in political philosophy and social studies, as well as personal essays. The Birthday Letter is a must-read book for anyone interested in international affairs, human history and literature.