In honor of International Women’s History month, we selected this book review to celebrate this wonderful holiday.

Diplomats and Dreamers turns a historical narrative into a thrilling tale of adventure, politics and familial bonds. The author has used humor, and surprise to write about a complex subject of Balkan diplomacy and its actors. The text often delights the reader with carefully crafted insights into a world that few contemporaries experienced or suspected to exist. By incorporating the personal experiences of the Stancioff family, covering the periods from 1880s-1950s, the author brings history alive.

A look back to a time when women had narrowly defined roles in society can be fascinating, especially when that look includes reading about Nadejda Stancioff, Bulgaria’s first female diplomat, and her family. Using unpublished primary documents Mari Firkatian has lovingly described a beautiful and extraordinary woman and her family, living during turbulent times. More than ten years of Firkatian’s impeccable research and detailed descriptions provide the reader with a rich portrait of the remarkable Stancioff family and the history of their times.

This book should be a movie. If not a movie then it at least deserves a close consideration for reading for those interested in women’s history, gender relationships, diplomacy at the turn of the last century, and social history of the same period. The family she writes about are extraordinary; first because they come from privileged background but second because they managed to find themselves in unique circumstances and knew how to exploit their opportunities – professionally and personally and finally because they lived in and survived pivotal moments in world history.

This book captivated me from the beginning to the end. The author combines both a historical and literary aspect into her book, making it highly enjoyable and educational to read. So please check out: Diplomats and Dreamers: The Stancioff Family in Bulgarian History By Mari A. Firkatian, University of America Press, 2008 when you get the chance.

By  Scott Scribner