Galina's Hope

One of nature's most hopeful sights is a beam of golden sunshine burning through the dark and churning clouds of a raging storm that has just subsided. That is the very picture of Galina's story, quintessentially Russian and very moving; one that will infuse the reader with a feeling of intense hope. It is a must-read for anyone facing an oncoming storm, standing in the midst of one, or still reeling in the devastation of tribulation, tragedy, and loss. Galina grew up in the post-Stalin years of the Soviet Union when Christianity was still the target of state oppression. As a young woman she joined an underground church in the city of Krasnodar and boldly shared her faith. After a romance with a tragic ending she struck out on her own seeking happiness in the sunny seaside city of Yalta on the coast of the Black Sea. Instead her life became an epic struggle of hope versus despair, life and death, even while she was surrounded by the beauty of tsarist palaces and beaches. Her faith had been shaken to its foundations and Soviet society collapsed around her in political and economic chaos. She immigrated to America hoping for a better life. But darkness followed and within its shadows a cataclysmic act played out in Fresno, California, on the evening of January 22, 1999. The horrific drama riveted the attention of the entire city and became the subject of television and newspaper headlines. It left people shocked, bewildered, and saddened. But Galina refused to let despair conquer her. This is the story of Galina's Hope.