Costly Illusions

Alexandra, daughter of her Croatian town’s favorite physicians, is hardly an obedient child. As a teenager, she lingers in the streets, lights forbidden cigarettes, and falls in love. But when she is seventeen, Alexandra is forced to leave everything behind when her family decides to immigrate to America. As the ship leaves the dock, Alexandra helplessly watches her hometown disappear in the distance as her tears transform the boat into a vessel of despair.

Alexandra struggles to adjust to ...