Camel from Kyzylkum is an award-winning memoir that chronicles the remarkable journey of immigrating from the Soviet Union during the late twentieth century. It delves into themes of hope, struggle, family, and loss, offering a profound exploration of the human spirit's yearning for freedom and self-determination. Through the author's compelling narrative, readers gain a deep insight into life within the Soviet Union and the immense sacrifices and risks individuals undertake in pursuit of a better life. The memoir traces a gripping path from Ukraine to the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan, and onward through Austria, Italy, and finally America. Along this journey, the author navigates personal truths and aspirations, illustrating the resilience and determination required to forge a new path in unfamiliar lands.
Born in Ukraine and going to school there, Lara Gelya went on for the next 20 years to the Kyzylkum Desert of the Republic of Uzbekistan, working at geological sites and expeditions of the Mining Industry. At that time Ukraine and Uzbekistan were parts of one country—the Soviet Union.
In 1989 Lara left the Soviet Union, lived in Austria and Italy before she, at last, found her way to the United States in 1990. Starting her life from ground zero again, and trying on so many hats, she was able to make a lengthy professional career that led to her eventual retirement on the shores of sunny Florida. Lara's debut book "Camel from Kyzylkum" is a poignant memoir about hope, struggles, loss, and finding the strength and inspiration to reach again and again for a better life.
In September of 2022, Lara became an award-winning author as her book, Camel from Kyzylkum, was awarded the Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
When she isn’t writing or making her videos and pictures, Lara spends most of her time reading, gardening, cooking, traveling the world, wandering through nature, or catching her favorite shows.
The city of Navoi is nearly a midpoint between Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan...
Book Excerpt
Camel from Kyzylkum
Navoi was founded in 1958. The city got its name in honor of the great Uzbek poet and statesman, Alisher Navoi. The city of Navoi is nearly a midpoint between Samarkand and Bukhara. In my years in Uzbekistan, it was never under the jurisdiction of Tashkent. It was administered and supplied directly from Moscow. The city was completely artificial; the grand boulevards, square parks, and rectangular apartment blocks represented the height of Soviet perfectionist ideology. The city of Navoi currently has an ethnically diverse population of 133,526. But in 1969, it was a 10-year-old city rising on the southern corner of the Kyzylkum Desert.
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