Free: Coming of Age at the End of History
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- Create Date：2021-10-18 07:51:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lea Ypi
- ISBN：0241481856
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Summary
Lea Ypi grew up in one of the most isolated countries on earth， a place where communist ideals had officially replaced religion。 Albania， the last Stalinist outpost in Europe， was almost impossible to visit， almost impossible to leave。 It was a place of queuing and scarcity， of political executions and secret police。 To Lea， it was home。 People were equal， neighbours helped each other， and children were expected to build a better world。 There was community and hope。
Then， in December 1990， a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall， everything changed。 The statues of Stalin and Hoxha were toppled。 Almost overnight， people could vote freely， wear what they liked and worship as they wished。 There was no longer anything to fear from prying ears。 But factories shut， jobs disappeared and thousands fled to Italy on crowded ships， only to be sent back。 Predatory pyramid schemes eventually bankrupted the country， leading to violent conflict。 As one generation's aspirations became another's disillusionment， and as her own family's secrets were revealed， Lea found herself questioning what freedom really meant。
Free is an engrossing memoir of coming of age amid political upheaval。 With acute insight and wit， Lea Ypi traces the limits of progress and the burden of the past， illuminating the spaces between ideals and reality， and the hopes and fears of people pulled up by the sweep of history。
Then， in December 1990， a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall， everything changed。 The statues of Stalin and Hoxha were toppled。 Almost overnight， people could vote freely， wear what they liked and worship as they wished。 There was no longer anything to fear from prying ears。 But factories shut， jobs disappeared and thousands fled to Italy on crowded ships， only to be sent back。 Predatory pyramid schemes eventually bankrupted the country， leading to violent conflict。 As one generation's aspirations became another's disillusionment， and as her own family's secrets were revealed， Lea found herself questioning what freedom really meant。
Free is an engrossing memoir of coming of age amid political upheaval。 With acute insight and wit， Lea Ypi traces the limits of progress and the burden of the past， illuminating the spaces between ideals and reality， and the hopes and fears of people pulled up by the sweep of history。
Reviews
Sadhbh O'Sullivan
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I know so little about Albania - I loved learning it’s history and the reality of Stalinist rule and everything that followed， especially through Ypi’s childhood eyes。 A really fascinating well written memoir
jean
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This was such an interesting and thought provoking book。 What is freedom？ Who really is equal？ Ms Ypi questions many western concepts through her thoughtful and well written memoir。Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book
Joy Lenton
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Freedom is a fluid concept that shifts with culture， politics， time， age and perspective。 It usually means different things to us within our lifetime。 In this eye-opening， perceptive and memorable memoir novel， the idea of freedom reveals such inconsistencies， and shows how the yearning for freedom lingers on in the human heart。The author’s own view of freedom alters slowly as she gains deeper understanding， and swiftly， with the changing political landscape， when Albania transitions from being Freedom is a fluid concept that shifts with culture， politics， time， age and perspective。 It usually means different things to us within our lifetime。 In this eye-opening， perceptive and memorable memoir novel， the idea of freedom reveals such inconsistencies， and shows how the yearning for freedom lingers on in the human heart。The author’s own view of freedom alters slowly as she gains deeper understanding， and swiftly， with the changing political landscape， when Albania transitions from being a dominant Communist state to experiencing revolt and Civil War。 Everything she was accustomed to from childhood is suddenly upended。 It’s unsettling and incredibly hard。Because far from creating a fair， peaceful and prosperous society overnight， this hard fought for freedom comes with a whole host of problems of its own。 But within her own family， coded conversations over years begin to make sense as her parents and grandmother finally reveal their true political colours and allegiances。 I approached this book with curiosity， coming to it from a standpoint of virtual ignorance about Albania’s struggles during and after being governed by Communist control。 Ypi provides an authentic， fascinating personal history here which is also informative and somewhat academic in tone。 Grateful thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Bob Hughes
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Tracing the life of an innocent child growing up in politically turbulent Albania， to a young woman who starts to understand the world around her， and what is really going on， this memoir reads both as a set of essays， but also as a novel itself。 It is a slow burn， watching at the beginning where young Lea is excited about chewing gum wrappers， ashamed of speaking French because her friends don't understand， and finding out from her parents that she is actually a Muslim despite the country's out Tracing the life of an innocent child growing up in politically turbulent Albania， to a young woman who starts to understand the world around her， and what is really going on， this memoir reads both as a set of essays， but also as a novel itself。 It is a slow burn， watching at the beginning where young Lea is excited about chewing gum wrappers， ashamed of speaking French because her friends don't understand， and finding out from her parents that she is actually a Muslim despite the country's outlawing of religious celebration。 We see the country through her eyes- her confusion at why her parents don't feel the same about the glorious leader as she does， what all this talk of 'communism' is about， and trying to understand the 'biographies' of everyone around her。However， soon the political situation becomes very real indeed to her， and I read the last section of this book almost breathlessly， my eyes darting across the page as she watches her country and family attacked from all sides。 And this is where the book reveals its magic trick- it has kept you in the eyes of an innocent girl through the story， the better to leave you breathless when the real magnitude of it hits。 This book is stunning， and truly a remarkable achievement。 I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Julie Friar
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Albania in 1990 is in turmoil and freedom seems to have arrived for Albania。 But thousands try to leave the country as there is no work and pyramid schemes are ruining lives。A personal view of life for Lea and her family during these times。
Clarisa Butler
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"Free" is a memoir， novel， treatise not to be missed。 Thoroughly enjoyable， this reads as an atmospheric， well-observed， wry memoir of the author's childhood in Albania， a country where the Communist paradigm had an extreme implementation and whose collapse， when the first-person narrator is in her early teens， questioned her whole past and informed her future life in ways which no-one can find uninteresting。 But this text is far more than just a personal memoir。 What makes it truly intriguing i "Free" is a memoir， novel， treatise not to be missed。 Thoroughly enjoyable， this reads as an atmospheric， well-observed， wry memoir of the author's childhood in Albania， a country where the Communist paradigm had an extreme implementation and whose collapse， when the first-person narrator is in her early teens， questioned her whole past and informed her future life in ways which no-one can find uninteresting。 But this text is far more than just a personal memoir。 What makes it truly intriguing is how the author， a professor of political theory at the London School of Economics uses her story and that of her family and the world around her to explore political concepts and positions in a "practical" manner。。。 the situations are in turn surrealist， funny， poignant， sad， hopeful and hopeless。。。 I was totally hooked。 Precisely because of its exemplary aims and the clever discussion of issues， I want to read it again。 "She [her grandmother] liked to repeat the bit of Robespierre's speech that said that the secret of freedom is in educating people， while the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant。" Deeply thought-provoking， I have enjoyed the humour， the dissecting of issues， the look at family relationships and power games tremendously。 An intelligent exploration of contemporary politics and ideas not in dry theoretical terms but in everyday life and lives。 With many thanks to the publishers via NetGalley for allowing me to read this excellent memoir and political treatise to boot。 。。。more
Shqiponja
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An absolutely wonderful book！
books4chess
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"It wouldn't be exploitation without consent。 It would be violence"The story follows a young Lea， learning about daily Albanian life， when the Berlin wall falls， regime change comes and life changes quickly。 1990 was a year like no other for Albania and the migration， rise of pyramid schemes， civil unrest and structural reforms are presented from a very personal perspective。I anticipated an Albanian memoir from which I could learn more about an area of the world and a history that I know little "It wouldn't be exploitation without consent。 It would be violence"The story follows a young Lea， learning about daily Albanian life， when the Berlin wall falls， regime change comes and life changes quickly。 1990 was a year like no other for Albania and the migration， rise of pyramid schemes， civil unrest and structural reforms are presented from a very personal perspective。I anticipated an Albanian memoir from which I could learn more about an area of the world and a history that I know little of， yet what I found what something， much， much more。 Lea is an incredible writer who engages the reader and takes you on a journey with her。 I found myself equally infuriated， as she recalled stories of her family talking in code and her frustrations in not understanding the meaning until later on - an experience recreated in the novel as the reader must reach halfway through the book to also 'crack the code'。 But it was worth it， as I was covered in goosebumps and eagerly devoured every breakthrough and realisation。 Perhaps what makes the book so good is the totally unexpected twists that surely aren't real - but are。 I've never been excessively enthusiastic about philosophy or ideologies， yet the passion and manner Lea discussed them with has left me with a desire to learn more。 The way in which she engaged with the ideologies， analysed them and directly applied them whilst seeking more answers was exhilarating and highlighted the importance of true self awareness of our surroundings - not just believing we are 'free' because we are told so。Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC， absolutely 5/5。 。。。more
Barbara
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This was unexpectedly brilliant。 I say unexpectedly because over the years， I have grown wary of the literature （both fiction and non-fiction） produced around Albanian communism and its immediate aftermath。 If not going the route of sterile allegories， those who write about Albania's past tend to portray life under Communism in a way that flattens all complexities for the sake of condensing as much pain on the page as possible。 And there are several reasons for that， chief being a belief in the This was unexpectedly brilliant。 I say unexpectedly because over the years， I have grown wary of the literature （both fiction and non-fiction） produced around Albanian communism and its immediate aftermath。 If not going the route of sterile allegories， those who write about Albania's past tend to portray life under Communism in a way that flattens all complexities for the sake of condensing as much pain on the page as possible。 And there are several reasons for that， chief being a belief in the power of narrative to bring about justice。 But more often than not these stories are published because they respond to the Western market's demand for such narratives， often to justify the need for the neoliberal reforms pushed by the EU and the NGO industrial complex。 Free does not fall into any of these traps。 It is nuanced， oftentimes hilarious， a masterful blend of the personal and political， and above all original in its confrontation with Communism and Albania's long transition into a liberal and "democratic" country。 From this side of history （and especially to Western readers）， there are many aspects to life under Communism that may seem absurd， or improbable。 And in reading about those experiences， there can be a tendency to exoticize them， or to feel pity， both on the part of the reader and the writer。 It ends up feeling too expository or not genuine。 But Ypi manages to sidestep this minefield by inhabiting and writing from the position of the child she used to be， a charming kid who took everything at face value。 In doing so， the complex mechanisms of Communism are always present， but rarely interrogated， which allows us to live as little Lea lived: loving xhaxhi Enver and believing in Stalin， yes， but also exchanging gum wrappers for a chance at a sniff， and feeling genuine happiness at having an empty can of Coke to display on top of the TV。This first section had me in stitches。 It felt so real， including the tendency to remember communism through the lens of humor。 There is this frank quality to Ypi's writing that manages to capture the atmosphere of Albania in those years。 I can't quite explain it， unless you've experienced it yourself。 It's all in the details really， the brands， the shops， the classes， the vocabulary that managed to survive the end of Communism through the decades。 But if the first part of Ypi's book is brilliant in its narrative， the second portion - focusing on Albania in the early 90s - is an absolute tour de force。 It is harrowing， poignant， and a masterful analysis of the policies that led to the 1997 civil war; it is also a brilliant takedown of the groups and ideas that were meant to make of Albania a "western" democracy， with a "market economy" and the human costs of these "structural reforms。" It is astounding to read how the vocabulary of neoliberalism swiftly replaced a socialist vocabulary; and what's even more astounding is to realize that it's been 30 years， and we are still stuck in the same carousel。 It's the same organizations and structures making the same promises and demands; the same dreams of achieving European standards， of being told to fight for freedom， and rule of law -- all while institutions like the World Bank recommend that our government lower its minimum wage requirements to attract more investments。 At a time when， the minimum wage requirement is not enough to survive on。 And as people leave en masse， Western-sponsored media publish articles where they speak of lazy Albanian workers who are no longer willing to work for scraps， thus "requiring" companies to hire foreign workers。 Meanwhile， Albania's putative socialist Prime Minister jokes that foreign workers are better for business because they don't speak Albanian and thus can't unionize。 This is a thought-provoking book that I'm going to return to over and over。 I did have some minor qualms。 As an Albanian reader， I found some of the exposition a bit jarring， and I could always feel the Albanian vocabulary underneath the English， which made it a clunky reading experience at times。 The discussion about freedom felt forced in， especially toward the beginning。 But still， a wonderful read that doesn't fall into the trap of forgetting that life under a so-called authoritarian regime can be just as uneventful and routine as life anywhere else。 Sometimes it's just life。 。。。more
Arbien White
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An excellent book。 I got a copy from a friend and thoroughly enjoyed reading it， especially the part with the Dutch guy and the party。 Moving and emotional （here I am thinking of the sad and sorry tale of the people on the Vlora） yet full of funny parts too （the loofah sponges in Greece） this is really worth a read。
Maureen
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*3。5 stars *It’s always fascinating to read of other cultures， and Lea Ypi’s memoir of growing up in Albania is no exception。 Albania was the last Stalinist state in Europe， and as such， very little was known about it。 That all changed with the creation of independent political parties， bringing about the fall of communism， just a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall。 If some Albanians thought they were already free， they were about to discover what real freedom meant。 It would be a time of ma *3。5 stars *It’s always fascinating to read of other cultures， and Lea Ypi’s memoir of growing up in Albania is no exception。 Albania was the last Stalinist state in Europe， and as such， very little was known about it。 That all changed with the creation of independent political parties， bringing about the fall of communism， just a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall。 If some Albanians thought they were already free， they were about to discover what real freedom meant。 It would be a time of many firsts， as the Ypi family traveled to Greece， the birthplace of Lea’s grandmother， and a time when Lea’s parents finally dared to admit that their country had been an open-air prison for almost half a century。 They wouldn’t have dared express such an opinion previously！Sometimes sad， sometimes amusing， Lea Ypi’s memoir brings both communist and post communist Albania vividly to life。 It’s a country I knew very little about， so it was both interesting and informative， and well worth the read。*Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Press UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review* 。。。more
Barbara
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A few years ago， I took a holiday in Dubrovnik。 Local tour companies were offering day trips to Albania: a long day trip， passing through Montenegro and into one of the least well-known countries in Europe。 I resisted。 Honestly， I didn't need to put myself through such a long journey just for the kudos of being able to say I'd been there。 Albania still holds that sense of difference。 Whether it's the remnants of the most authentically Stalinist regime in the world （a regime that looked down upon A few years ago， I took a holiday in Dubrovnik。 Local tour companies were offering day trips to Albania: a long day trip， passing through Montenegro and into one of the least well-known countries in Europe。 I resisted。 Honestly， I didn't need to put myself through such a long journey just for the kudos of being able to say I'd been there。 Albania still holds that sense of difference。 Whether it's the remnants of the most authentically Stalinist regime in the world （a regime that looked down upon other communist regimes for being a bit soft） or the fascination with the underworld crime that's been so well publicised by films in which various members of Liam Neeson's family are abducted， you can't deny that Albanis is not like other places。Lea Ypi knows more than most about that difference。 And she writes well - if a little dully in places - about her childhood and coming of age at one of the most interesting times in Albania's history。 About half the book precedes the end of the Stalinist regime， the rest covers life after， life through the Albanian Civil War， and eventually her decision to leave the country。What I like about this book is that it feels very genuine。 As children， we are inclined to be what we're told to be; to support the regime， to sing the patriotic songs loudest and long for a bigger picture of our dear leader on the mantelpiece。 It takes almost half of the book for us to learn that all is not as it seems in the Ypi house。 Her mysterious French-speaking grandmother， the coincidence of the family surname and a long-gone leader by the same name。 All starts to fall into place。Lea learns that freedom is sometimes over-rated and that the end of one regime doesn't always mean paradise from the next。 She tells us about the infighting， the politics， the Kalashnikov celebrations， the downfall of the finance 'firms' through a massive pyramid investment scandal， and the wholesale flight of Albanians looking to find safety and fortune in Italy or further west。 Many reviewers comment that this is a funny book。 I didn't find that to be the case。 Mildly amusing at times， but funny is not the adjective I'd choose。 Authentic might be。 Unapologetic （not that she has anything to apologise for） might be another。 She's just a kid with an unusual family living in historically challenging times。It's a good account of a period that I have to admit to knowing little about。 I think Albania's challenges may have got lost to the general public amongst the horrors of the extended Balkan conflicts。 I recall trying to keep on top of it all when the Balkans first started to fall apart， believing that surely there was a good side and a bad side， good countries and bad ones， good ethnic groups and evil ones。 What soon became apparent was that there were many many shades of grey in that part of the world。 Albania and the plight of ethnic Albanians in other Balkan countries all got way too complicated for many of us to understand。 Perhaps though， the account of one person， one ordinary person and her lived experience can be more powerful than a blow by blow account of everything that was happening in the late 1990s。This isn't horrific。 I have read a lot of books from that part of the world at that period and some of them leave me unable to sleep at night。 This isn't one of those。 You won't read of terrifying or blood-curdling events。 it's matter-of-fact， from the eyes of a young person， and I felt an unfiltered honesty in the words。 It's about the snob value of an empty Coca Cola tin， about hospitality to strangers and fear of tourists， and about fitting in with some ways and sticking out like a sore thumb in others。 Well worth a read。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy。 。。。more
Jen Burrows
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A vivid and thought-provoking memoir of growing up during the collapse of Albanian socialism。Ypi captures these pivotal moments in history through a child's eyes， and as a reader you really get a sense of not just how society struggled to rebuild itself， but how each individual fought to rebuild and relearn their values and sense of self。 By telling this story from a child's point of view， with all her confusion and curiosity， Ypi manages to strike balance in her portrayal of political upheaval。 A vivid and thought-provoking memoir of growing up during the collapse of Albanian socialism。Ypi captures these pivotal moments in history through a child's eyes， and as a reader you really get a sense of not just how society struggled to rebuild itself， but how each individual fought to rebuild and relearn their values and sense of self。 By telling this story from a child's point of view， with all her confusion and curiosity， Ypi manages to strike balance in her portrayal of political upheaval。 This is not a straightfoward journey towards freedom: it is also an exploration of what freedom actually means。Smart， interesting and with a strong sense of humanity at it's heart， Free is a powerful memoir。*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Barbara
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‘We lived in the same place but in different worlds。 These worlds overlapped only briefly and， when they did， we saw things through different eyes。’ A fascinating account of life in Enver Hoxha’s Albania， and beyond， seen through the eyes of a child and then young woman， contrasting it with that of her parents and grandmother。 A closed country， a one-party state， guardedness and family tensions， queuing and shortages， community and coded language all make for the most engaging read。 We are encou ‘We lived in the same place but in different worlds。 These worlds overlapped only briefly and， when they did， we saw things through different eyes。’ A fascinating account of life in Enver Hoxha’s Albania， and beyond， seen through the eyes of a child and then young woman， contrasting it with that of her parents and grandmother。 A closed country， a one-party state， guardedness and family tensions， queuing and shortages， community and coded language all make for the most engaging read。 We are encouraged to give pause and reflect on what ‘freedom’ is。 Brought to mind a conversation I had with a hiking guide in Bulgaria several summers ago。 Walking past a small， abandoned factory in an-end-of-the-valley mountain village， seeing rusted， decrepit trucks alongside tracks or in fields I naively asked ‘Were things better before？’ to which I received an emphatic ‘Yes！’ The writing flows effortlessly opening up a window on a unique place and time。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Sophie Dickinson
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Thank you to NetGalley， Lea Ypi and Allen Lane for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book。 ‘Free’ was fantastic， unlike anything I have ever read。 Lea Ypi is fantastic at recounting her youth in Albania， and made me aware of a whole period of history I didn’t really （ashamedly） know much of - I am now throughly intrigued。 Ypi’s writing style is realistic and serious， expressing the trouble in Albania at the time， and yet she does so with a humorous edge， truly attesting to the you Thank you to NetGalley， Lea Ypi and Allen Lane for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book。 ‘Free’ was fantastic， unlike anything I have ever read。 Lea Ypi is fantastic at recounting her youth in Albania， and made me aware of a whole period of history I didn’t really （ashamedly） know much of - I am now throughly intrigued。 Ypi’s writing style is realistic and serious， expressing the trouble in Albania at the time， and yet she does so with a humorous edge， truly attesting to the youthful spirit at the heart of this book。 A genuinely interesting read and one I will be recommending for a long time to come！ 。。。more
Angela Thompson
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Free by Lea YpiLea tells her biography （ readers will get it ！ ） in such a way that you can actually feel her emotions of the time told。 At times funny ， heartbreak ， funny ， and also perilous and frightening 。I feel for all people that have had to make a decision to change their lives in such a way Like this 。 Her writing will stay with me。A great book。
Gitu Sharma
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A wonderfully insightful memoir about the battle between socialism and democracy， family， relationships， truth and fear in 1990s Albania - Ypi has a writing style that is both incredibly personal and equally informative
Claire Vola
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Thank you to Lea Ypi， Allen Lane publishing， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book。 All written reviews are my own unbiased opinion。 This book was really interesting to read。 I love memoirs from the perspective of someone from another country than my own， because then I truly get a feel for what living there is like。 Ypi put herself aside to relive some of her painful past in order to tell her readers what life was really like。 She was able to paint beautiful pi Thank you to Lea Ypi， Allen Lane publishing， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book。 All written reviews are my own unbiased opinion。 This book was really interesting to read。 I love memoirs from the perspective of someone from another country than my own， because then I truly get a feel for what living there is like。 Ypi put herself aside to relive some of her painful past in order to tell her readers what life was really like。 She was able to paint beautiful pictures of her childhood and family， without coming off the wrong way。 Her writing style flowed nicely through the chapters， and I especially liked reading her diary entries at the end of the memoir。 Overall this was a fantastic read and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 I will post my review on NetGalley and GoodReads now， and on my Instagram， blog， and Amazon on publishing day。 。。。more
Lauren Carruthers
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