I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from “Bottled Goods”, but I wasn’t counting on such a delightful telling of a woman’s life in Romania during the Communist regime. Don’t get me wrong, Alina experiences some rather horrible things, but the lyrical style of telling and the flash fiction style chapters are a combination to treasure. The things the author doesn’t show are equally as vivid, for me, as those that she does show. When I wasn’t reading the book, I found myself wondering what Alina was up to and what was coming next. I confess that I forgot that magical realism would be making an appearance, and I’m not always a fan, but I wasn’t put off by this turn in the story. I actually found some humor in it, whether that was Sophie van Llewyn’s intent or not. I finished this one two days ago and am still experiencing book hangover. I highly recommend “Bottled Goods” when it’s released.