As Flowers Go: Escape to Homeland Amazonia. Cet article n’est pas disponible.As Flowers Go: Escape to Homeland Amazonia

While Licco Hazan, the narrator of this novel, was held captive at a Bulgarian labor camp in World War II, he could hardly imagine that one day he´d have a much brighter future in the far-off, frightening Amazon.

Accompanying the lives of this character and his family and people, Ilko Minev reconstructs the little-known and intriguing story of how Bulgaria’s 50,000 Jews were saved from the gas chambers during the heinous Nazi domination of Europe. Torn apart from his brother as a young prisoner, Licco is fortunate enough to count on people who help him flee to the neutral nation of Turkey Help comes from an improbable source: Albert Göring, the brother of Hermann Göring (a top Nazi party leader and designated successor of Adolf Hitler). Albert Göring is instrumental in helping Licco and other jews escape from a sure death. On this journey Licco meets another escapee, Berta - the woman of his life. By several twists of fate, the young couple ends up building a new life in an unknown land, the hot and humid Amazon. Meanwhile, Licco´s brother is still in Bulgaria, which has been transformed into a Soviet satellite under the dictatorship of Stalin.

The title of the book takes its inspiration from the world´s pacifist hymn "Where have all the flowers gone", first made famous by the sensual voice of Marlene Dietrich. A must read.

ILKO MINEV was born and grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he received his degree in German studies. He also studied economics in Belgium before immigrating to Brazil. After spending time in Sao Paulo, he moved to Manaus, where he quite literally fell in love and put down roots. There he made a career as a business executive and served as Honorary Consul for the Netherlands for more than thirty years. He is married and has two children and two grandchildren.