Maria-Cristina Necula’s The Voice Beneath the Quince Tree: A Memoir of Growing Up in Communist Romania is more than just a memoir; it is a testament to the power of art to provide solace and a sense of purpose during the most challenging times of one’s life. It is also the enduring love story of one woman’s passion for opera.
The journey of this memoir began in two shorter versions of Cristina’s other works, “L’Europe à la carte” and “Life in Opera,” which during her two year fellowship at The Writers Institute starting in 2022 at The Graduate Center, CUNY, inspired her to write her memoir. Under the guidance of this editor-led program, Cristina took on this long-term project of encapsulating her unique perspective of life, art, and resilience under a communist regime through the eyes of her childhood self. Unlike most memoirs and books around this same topic, Cristina choose to focus on the transformative power of art and how it can be used as a form of activism.
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The story begins with her father’s defection in London, a move that left the young Cristina grappling with complex emotions and a yearning to understand the concept of freedom. Despite the political turmoil and personal loss, opera provided a magical escape, which became a constant in a world of uncertainty. One of the most poignant moments in the book is the author’s first experience at the opera, which was May 15, 1985, and she attended a performance of The Marriage of Figaro, sung in Romanian. Captivated by the characters, especially Susanna, she was reluctant to leave during intermission, fearing she might miss something extraordinary. This event was central to her childhood and inspired many “opera productions” under her quince tree where she would embodied the characters she saw on stage as she navigated the challenges of being the daughter of a “traitor.”
The memoir also covers the author’s transition from Romania to New York and the significant cultural shock that it was. From her first impression upon landing at JFK Airport where she saw for the first time the incredible diversity of people, which was in stark contrast to the homogeneity of Romania, to a trip to an American supermarket were there was an abundance and variety of goods on the shelves vs. the scarcity in Romania. Adapting to her new environment involved embracing and navigating cultural misconceptions as well. When her American peers associated her with the Dracula legend, she initially felt bewildered and distressed. In Romania, she was familiar with Vlad the Impaler, not Dracula, due to communist censorship at the time. However, she cleverly turned this misunderstanding to her advantage, claiming Dracula as a distant relative to win over her classmates. You, the reader, may notice Dracula is very close to her last name Necula.
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Throughout all of this, opera was and has remained a constant in the Cristina’s life, a beacon of hope and resilience. While her career as a recitalist has taken a backseat to
writing, she continues to promote and stay connected to the art form. Opera, for her, is an eternal love, offering both refuge and a means of defiance during oppressive times. The Voice Beneath the Quince Tree: A Memoir of Growing Up in Communist Romania is not just a book; it is a celebration of art’s ability to transcend adversity and bring people together.
It is available on Amazon in both e-version and paperback, with plans to expand to other platforms, this book is a testament to the universal power of art. Cristina hopes that her story will resonate with readers, showing that art can be an oasis of consolation, inspiration, and upliftment, just as it has been in her life.
