Asya's Laws - A story of life and love

"We've all met people who tell life stories we can learn and grow from. Asya, a child of the 1960s Soviet Union, not only tells a compelling story, but also distills her experiences into "laws" that make you smile and ponder. Part memoir of growing up in Latvia as the Iron Curtain unravels, and part cautionary tale about the unpredictability of life and love, Asya's Laws is a well-paced life study that both entertains and inspires. How fascinating to learn about the human side of this Baltic seaside country that came under Russian rule after WWII -- and thus disappeared from American view. With just a touch of Old World manner left in her voice (preserved deftly by co-author Charles Fleetham), Asya's coming-of-age and eventual move to the U.S. is a unique telling of Cold War history. It seems our "enemies" are fiercely proud, patriotic, and hold family and cultural values just like ours.

Where the book really stands out is in its approach to love and romance. All of us in committed relationships know just how hard it is to make them last, and twice-divorced Asya's account of how hard she tried, and what she learned, is more meaningful than dozens of the relationship self-help books I've read. Most of her "laws" are relationship-oriented, ranging from "if you have a secret don't spread it" and "celebrate the beauty of your friends" to "if you don't risk you won't drink champagne" and "if you want to change someone else, change yourself first." Here is the voice of a foreigner whose words truly hit home."

"Refusing to kneel before the altar of false morality, Asya Raines fearlessly shares what she has learned through every life experience -- the good, the bad and the ugly. Women will see themselves or their children, mothers, sisters and friends, because Asya's Laws extend beyond the borders of countries, beyond the limits of time and space. And these lessons of love lost and found, everyone learns."

Joni Hubred-Golden, Publisher
Michigan Women's Forum

"Asya’s Laws is a fascinating, multi-layered biography. It is the story of a Jew in an anti-Semitic society; the story of a Baltic communist experiencing the upheaval of perestroika and the downfall of the Soviet Union; the story of an immigrant struggling to integrate into a new and alien environment; but most of all, it is the story of a woman.

Twice-divorced Asya Raines, a Latvian Jew who immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 while in her mid-forties, relates her life-history as viewed through the prism of her relationships with her friends, her family and her lovers. Her mostly tongue-in-cheek “laws” are the lessons that she learns along the way. She shares these lessons with the reader in a way that is both entertaining and instructive, but totally lacking in pomposity, arrogance or false piety. (Example: “a real man does not leave a lady waiting at the theater!”) Asya has an inspirational ability to learn from the past instead of becoming embittered by it, to understand and even forgive the bad things that other people do, to recognize and learn from her own mistakes, and to look forward to the future and the adventures that lie ahead.

Asya’s distinctive voice, relayed admirably by Charles Fleetham, has a slight but charming foreign accent. It demonstrates how she has held onto her roots while simultaneously adapting to her new surroundings. She occasionally addresses the reader directly, enhancing the intimacy of the narrative. At the end I found myself hoping that at last she has found “true love.”

I would thoroughly recommend this book both to the romantic at heart, as well as to anyone interested in learning what life was really like behind the Iron Curtain."

"Asya has been able to chronicle her life in an entertaining and lively fashion making it hard to believe how many other stories and laws she has yet to share. A delightful read with great insight and wisdom. Each chapter provides a life lesson in a very unique manner."

Rosalind Lullove Cooperman, President & CEO
September Moon Production Network, Inc.

"This is a wonderful and enlightening story about one woman's journey through life and love. See how the influences of her family, friends, loves, country and culture shape her laws about love as she transforms from a young women to an adult, wife, and mother. You hear through her voice what it is like to be in a new country, excited about new opportunities and yet missing her past. Reading Asya's Laws is just like catching up with a long-lost friend. You will finish wishing you knew even more about Asya and her family."

"I liked the title. I like the format that the book is written in. I agree with Asya that it was very important for her to keep her voice in the story. It made the book better and it came across as so authentic. Asya had such an interesting life. She is such a strong person with such a great attitude. The book in inspiring not just because she has managed to live through some tough situations, but mostly because through it all, Asya was able to keep her spirit and love for life. I enjoyed learning a bit about where Asya grew up, it was very interesting. The book was a very quick read and I loved how Asya was able to keep it light even when discussing some depressing times."

"Authentic and honest story of Asya who journeys from the communist Latvia to capitalist America. The trials and tribulations of a very tolerant woman who wants to get along with everyone. A very refreshing story of successes and failure in love in the her native Latvia and then in the USA. Asya's story is brilliantly written in European accent that changes with time losing it completely when it ends in USA. I have asked my young daughters to read this book. Women of all ages will enjoy reading and learning from Asya experiences (Law)!"

"I have a special affinity to much of this book having grown up with my immediate family, and first cousins close in age to Asya and myself, living in communist Poland. My father used to say that the system "shaped" the people. For example, what people would do to get a job promotion, (like the Professor) or get certain special considerations - be it in a doctor's office, a housing commission, etc. People would rationalize their behavior because it "served" the family well, or they deserved it, or well, that's how it is.... As for women, where are you going to go, when you have limited resources of any kind to start on your own? So many are essentially forced to stay in abusive relationships."

This is a REAL book about a REAL person, Asya, who so candidly, yet carefully unfolds a story that takes the reader through time and across cultural and international boundaries! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Asya's voice as I read. With the photos from her life included, it was easy to hear her telling me her story and delivering her laws...the wisdom she developed in her lifelong quest for real love. I appreciate her honesty and vulnerability in depicting how she regarded herself throughout this quest and in each of her roles - a girl looking for love, a lover, a wife, a daughter, a mother, etc. Her own perspective on Latvia and Latvians and America and Americans is also interesting to observe as it changes from beginning to end. Thank you, Asya, for going for it with this book!