Imagine hacking into your brain to seek answers of the questions that cross your mind often? Raya Klinbail, the author of, ‘Flight of the Swallows’, found herself in the same boat, as curiosity is in our DNA. She travelled thousands of miles across Kazakhstan, to look for hidden answers and visualize the following scenario:

‘What would my life be now if my parents took up the offer of the fabulous bride price a Kazakh clan had offered for me on my first birthday? Would I grow up in a yurt learning to hunt eagles, come of age along the shores of Lake Balkhash, study in the ancient city of Almaty, home of the apple, or in the gleaming capital, Astana?’

Taking a look at her past makes us realize the force that caused her to step out of her comfort zone. She is a family doctor, born in Kazakhstan through a vagary of history. Before her first birthday a Kazakh clan had offered a bride price for her. Her parents resisted and returned to Poland where in her early years she was brainwashed by Communist propaganda. Later they migrated to Australia where she grew up. The uncertain nature combined with the evil forces of the society made her to question this situation.

The book presents a dramatic story sourced from the author’s past, set against defining events of the twentieth century—wars and political upheavals. The story takes you on an enthralling journey across Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Poland and ultimately, to Australia. A tale that will leave you thinking—what shapes our lives and makes us the people we are? Is it the world around us or is it written in our DNA? 

Journeys like these help us to realize that wherever we are today is a combination of the experiences that we have gained in life, irrespective of the result.