Most Americans who were born in the United States come from a heritage that began outside of this country. We appreciate our ancestors who had the courage to come here. They built a new life which resulted in our very existence. Some have even researched their ancestral journey extensively. But we don’t know that experience firsthand. The Wanderer – A Tear and a Smile: Reflections of an Immigrant by Ronesa Aveela illustrates a modern-day experience of what it is like to immigrate to the United States and start fresh. Check out my review of the book along with an interview with the authors below!

About the authors

The Wanderer was written by two authors who together call themselves Ronesa Aveela. Based on the life of one of these authors, the book provides an overview of Bulgarian culture from her personal experiences. From political restrictions to religious holidays and ancient legends and daily customs, Aveela straddles this world with the new one that she made for herself and her family after moving to the United States in 1998.

Blending two worlds

Like many immigrants, the author found it important to blend her new culture without losing the best parts of her old culture. She is very open-minded about acclimating to the change in pace, customs, and values that differ between The US and Bulgaria.

One way she does this is by recognizing the connections that the melting pot of American culture has to her own. We all have our customs, recipes, and superstitions that come from our heritage. Preparing special dishes to eat on Christmas or wearing a family heirloom on your wedding day are customs that we take for granted.

This perspective makes it more relatable when she delves into Bulgarian customs that your average American might not know. It also helps us to realize how the traditions we take with a grain of salt might sound strange to a newcomer who has never experienced them before.

Celebrating her culture

The first half of the book concentrates on holidays which were banned in her country by political leaders but which her family still observed in private. Many of these customs were abandoned while raising her children for various reasons. So, writing them down preserves them as part of her history, even if they end with her.

She also works in aspects of her personal life. She glosses over her abusive long-term relationship. A failed but valiant attempt at art school is chronicled. And visits to her homeland show how far she has come and how much has changed.

These chapters are much more guarded in terms of details. They are also told out of order. This keeps the focus on the situation rather than forming a chronological timeline of her life. But they help to illustrate the struggles that she faced in laying down roots in the United States.

Moving to another country for a better life is not easy. Learning a new language, finding a job that made ends meet, and dealing with prejudice were just a few of the obstacles that she touches on to get to where she is today.

Bulgarian legends

My favorite sections were learning about the Bulgarian legends, the holiday traditions and the meanings behind them. The United States has its own history of legends. So does my own Catholic upbringing. So it was interesting to hear similar but distinct customs in Bulgaria.

For instance, she was told that when her father died, his soul had to sit outside the gates of the cemetery until another soul died and took his place. Only then could he cross over to the other side.

Her explanation of these stories are clearly written and break down the reasons behind every little step taken to create every recipe or celebrate every event. Her voice is simple but sophisticated. It helps that she utilizes American-friendly comparisons to paint a clear picture of her culture. From the specific ways that Bulgarians color eggs on Easter to the magical properties of trees, everything is explained clearly and expertly.

A positive viewpoint

In terms of hardships that she endured an immigrant and employee, these are addressed but only vaguely. She instead tries to keep a positive outlook of her life. This maintains focus on the fact that she triumphed over these tough times. She blends her two worlds easily. But she doesn’t discount the balancing act it took to raise her children, work to support her family, and further her education.

She’s not a complainer. Nothing about her narration victimizes her. Instead, she takes pride in her ability to conquer her obstacles and build a comfortable life for her children, even if it differs greatly from her own childhood.

The Wanderer

The Wanderer title seems to deal exclusively with the author’s experience as an immigrant. She’s actually quite grounded in her beliefs and her goals. She also values family, both the one she came from and the one she created.

If anything, this book reminds its readers who have not been through her experiences that no two immigrant stories are the same. Her reasons, attitude, and experiences cannot compare to anyone else’s. But we all share pride in our culture.

Her children will never know her experience firsthand. But they will still have roots in their culture. And they will be open to other cultures because of the two that they straddled. This is all because their mother kept an open mind and embraces the meaning behind why different cultures have their rituals rather than the rituals themselves.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves to learn about other cultures. It would also appeal to those who like to research genealogy. And it also serves as a reminder of the basic beliefs and goals that unite as the human race.

Author interview with Ronesa Aveela

Name: Ronesa Aveela

Ronesa Aveela is the pen name for two authors: Rebecca Carter and Nelly Tonchev.

Book Title: The Wanderer – A Tear and A Smile: Reflections of an Immigrant 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

Author Links

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Book summary.

In this book, I reflect upon my life abroad over the last twenty years as a Bulgarian immigrant. Through life stories and my canvas, I depict how traditions and rituals influence and preserve the Bulgarian value system and beliefs. The book shows the sorrow and the joy in the life of immigrants who are nostalgic for their native land, while at the same time trying to adopt and embrace their new life and surroundings.

Excerpt from The Wanderer – A Tear and a Smile: Reflections of an Immigrant

Fountains (cheshmas) have a special place in the life and lifestyle of the Bulgarians. They not only bear life-giving water, but they can also be beautiful structures, legacies of what their builders have left behind. Planting trees, capturing water, and building fountains are well-known traditions in Bulgaria even today.

As a child, I had the opportunity to study in Tryavna, a beautiful town known for its wood-carving school, pretty houses from the Revival period, and clock tower. I stood at the bottom of the clock tower, looking at it with fascination for hours.

The soul of the past lives in other places in the town of Tryavna as well. During my stay, I learned a wonderful love legend. I often passed a white, marble fountain with a sculpted face of a beautiful maiden and a marble bench beside her.

One day, my art teacher told our class the legend of the secret love between a young woodcarver and the most beautiful girl from Tryavna. The young carpenter wasn’t recognized as a master yet, so he lacked the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. Then he decided to show the local masters how talented he was and selected marble, the hardest material to work with. He created a fountain by sculpting the image of his beloved, and the water was a symbol of their eternally fused souls.

After the fountain was finished, he was accepted by the masters. He received not only their blessings, but also the girl’s hand.

Review excerpts

“I loved learning about the customs and superstitions of a culture that is foreign to me, but in many ways, not much different at the end of the day.”

“I haven’t read a book like this one before. I was intrigued as I read it last night to kill some time when I could not sleep.”

“The chapter on fountains was amazing – I’ve never taken the time to stop and really enjoy them, but I will now!”

Talking Shop

What is the central theme or message of your story? What do you want readers to take away from it?

With so much hate in the world, we want to promote cultural diversity. Although our traditions and beliefs differ, at the core, we are all the same. We have pain. We have joy. Most of us strive to make ourselves better. Too many people fear what they don’t know, instead of taking the challenge to try to understand the unknown, the differences of others. Life can be challenging enough without having to struggle trying to be understood and accepted by a community. The Wanderer looks at the challenges and joys of living in a country other than your birth country.

How active are you in the online writing community? How has this community helped you as a writer?

After we wrote our first book, Mystical Emona: Soul’s Journey, we decided to go the traditional route, since we knew so little about the publishing world. A few rejections later, we received feedback from one small publisher. They liked the story, but it needed more work. Since I am the one with a background in the publishing world, it was my job to make the written words better. I looked for online writing communities and came across Scribophile. What a blessing that has been for me. I’ve received wonderful advice and have formed lasting friendships with my current critique group.

How long have you considered yourself a writer? Did you have any formal training, or is it something you learned as you went?

Nelly and I started working together back in 2012, I think. We worked at the same company. She knew that I had a background in publishing, so she asked if I could help her with a book she was writing about a place she had visited that left a deep impression on her. She had actually started writing the book in the late nineties… and it was in Bulgarian (her native language).

As I mentioned earlier, I used to work in publishing. I’ve held various positions: typesetter, proofreader, copy editor, managing editor. Each one has taught be about style, grammar, consistency, and so much more. And in other positions, I’ve been tasked with creating training manuals and much other documentation. However, these lacked the “creative” aspect of fiction writing. Through my writing community and independent study, I’ve come to tailor my writing more toward this way of thinking.

What is your day job? How, in any way, does it relate to your life as a writer?

I’ve been laid off since early 2018. So now I can dedicate myself full time to writing. I was a software tester and was the go-to person for people looking for information on specific software functionality. In my role, I enjoyed organizing information and documenting anything that I found confusing or overly technical. And … I made a lot of mistakes and learned from them. This carries over into writing as well. Once you learn about, say, “filter words,” it’s easy to eliminate them from your writing.

Nelly works in Human Resources, so she is what I like to call “the face of Ronesa.” Not only because she is Bulgarian, but also because she’s much better at interacting with the community than I am.

Who is on your Mt. Rushmore of all time great writers?

When I was growing up, two of my favorite authors were Agatha Christie and Taylor Caldwell. I’d choose Christie, because her mysteries enabled me to think things through. Who dun it? What are the clues?

I loved Taylor Caldwell’s writing, although today it would seem too wordy, with too much backstory for today’s fast-paced world. She made me think about politics, religion, and life in general, about all that went on in the world outside my small, rural community.

Fantasy also has a dear place in my heart, and so J.R.R. Tolkien and Mary Stewart would find their places there, as well. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Stewart’s Arthurian stories are classics worth reading more than once.

What were your expectations for writing and publishing your first book? Have they changed since then?

With the first book, we tried for a long time to go the traditional route. It was, after all, all that we knew about. Yes, we knew, we could publish ourselves, but to be published by the Big Five was a goal. Think of the prestige!

But, when we eventually gave up and self-published, it was with a different attitude. We had full control over what we could produce: the content, the cover, all of it. The only deadlines we had were the ones we imposed on ourselves. We could write when we wanted to, or take time off. We didn’t have to wait 12 to 18 months (or more) for the book to be published after it was finished. And we could sell books for less than what the traditional publishers sold them for because all the middle men were eliminated.

A win for us. A win for our readers.

“What If” Scenarios

If you could be in a writer’s group with up to four famous writers, who would they be?

I think I’d be too terrified to be in a writer’s group with famous writers. At least, I’d be in awe of them and would have doubts about my own writing in their midst. I might sit quietly in a group with Stephen King (I thoroughly enjoy listening to any clips he appears in), JK Rowling (to learn more about how she organizes her plot before she even begins to write), Georgi Mishev (who researches and writes about Bulgarian/Thracian topics), and Oprah Winfrey (not so much for her book writing, but tips about book marketing).

A wealthy reader buys 100 copies of your book and tells you to hand them out to anyone you wish. Who do you give them to?

I’d donate them to public schools. Earlier this year, I sent a few copies of our nonfiction books to a friend of mine in Oklahoma for her school’s book sale. The books never made it to the general public because the teachers grabbed them for their own classroom use.

You’re offered a contract to rewrite your book in another genre. Which genre do you choose and why?

I’d like to be able to write the “Spirits & Creatures” nonfiction series into a fantasy series. That was the original intent when I started doing the research for the books. It was to research what “secrets” each of the beings had, and how the creatures could be defeated. It was a prequel series to our MG fantasy book The Unborn Hero of Dragon Village.

Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?

Hide while I continue to work on the next book! And make Nelly deal with all the publicity. (That’s the job of having a writing partner.)

Would you rather own your own book store or your own publishing house, and what would you sell or publish?

I once owned a gift shop that carried handmade crafts, so I’d prefer my own book store, rather than a publishing house. There are so many wonderful indie books available, plus I have at least a couple thousand traditionally published paperbacks sitting in boxes to give the store a start. I’d like to also add the aspect of crafts to the store, since that remains a dream of mine to one day open another store.

Just For Fun

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

It seems the current legacy I have is that I “bake.” It is what people I’ve worked with in the past remember best about me (or at least what they admit to remembering). But now, I want my legacy to be the books I write. I focus more on the nonfiction folklore. These are my “children,” who I hope will inspire people long after I am gone.

One bucket list item you’ve completed and one that’s still on your list.

Completed: Write a book. It’s something I always wanted to do when I was younger.

To Do: Go hang-gliding. I’ve had dreams where I jump into the air and fly high in the sky. It would be nice to feel that free in my waking hours.

Favorite place you’ve visited/place you want to visit.

I visited Hong Kong during Chinese New Year one year. It was a wonderful experience. Such a different culture and many treasured memories.

Food you’d like to win a lifetime supply of.

Chocolate! Although I’d have to get exercise equipment to go along with it.

Your favorite podcast.

The Folklore Podcast.  Although I don’t have a lot of free time to listen to a lot of podcasts, I’ve found some great research topics here.

Buy it!

Buy a copy of The Wanderer here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.

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