The Somber Side of a Scientific Mind. Christian Tyoder

This is a historical fiction novel based on real-life events. It’s the story of a brief but unlikely friendship between Hans Reinberg and Abdulai Rasulov. The two find themselves waiting out a snowstorm in a café in Paris. From this moment on, they are basically stuck with each other, and by the time they say their goodbyes, the young Hans has become deeply fond of his old friend.

It’s a sad but casual goodbye as the two part ways, and Hans is quite surprised when Abdulai makes a request asking him to one day write the memoir of his life. This he accepts. It is revealed later on that he wasn’t the only one who missed an opportunity to say a proper goodbye to Abdulai, hence the relevance of the book’s title.

Given the vast amount of detail contained in this book, it’s not one to be rushed through. I was fully invested in the characters. It’s inspiring how consistent his character traits are, and I picked up valuable lessons on hard work and compassion from him.

Amidst the reality of Abd’s life, themes of war, friendship, religion, discrimination, depression, family, and cultural values are well tackled. I especially liked how the authors painted an accurate picture of the various scenarios. From the flow of the story, I could envision the life of an Afghan refugee, challenges faced by an Arab immigrant to Europe, the pain of a divorced, single dad, a conniving ex-wife’s evil plot, and the obstacles faced by a young woman trying to get in touch with her roots.

There were several moments when I paused to reflect on my own relationship with my family members.

This being a poignant and reflective read, I would recommend it to students of psychology, immigrants and anyone seeking to strengthen the bond with their family members.

—Mercy Bolo, OnlineBookClub.org member,

07 March, 18:23

Independent Reviews

“This book is an engaging and often ‘page-turning’ account of the saga of a multicultural family and its heartaches. The descriptions of locations and landscape are often enchantingly beautiful.”

—Alfred D. Heggie, MD, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

“This novel makes me think of the intercultural world we are living in. I think that such stories are always welcome in the fight against racism and discrimination.”

—Cristinaro, OnlineBookClub.org member

“The Somber Side of a Scientific Mind is a fascinating story that will have you hooked from the start. Tyoder convincingly provides the reader with touching insights into a legacy full of ups and downs. Intelligently and intriguingly written, the reader will find him or herself dramatically immersed in the memoir of a man that you will feel like you have known your entire life. Highly recommended!”

—Leni Scholl, Esq., Heidelberg, Germany

“This is a complex but captivating memoir-based novel dealing with intertwining lives. Readers will find in this intriguing story topics that arouse their personal interest.”

—David S. Pearlman, MD, Denver, Colorado, USA

“What really got me intrigued was your description of how these two characters initially meet and then the story shifts into revealing the past through this idea of a memoir. Very interesting!”

—Camille Turner, OnlineBookClub.org member.

“This sounds like an interesting read. The topic is certainly very timely in many parts of the world.”

—Kislany, OnlineBookClub.org member (previous Member of the Month)

“This sounds like a fascinating and lifelike story! Abd seems to be a character one can look up to.”

—Jkhorner, OnlineBookClub.org member

In memoriam of Abdulah Rasulov whose legacy is marked by endurance, resiliency, compassion, tolerance, and love.

Acknowledgments

Our deepest gratitude to Martine in La Rochelle, France, for fully entrusting to us the ambitious task of keeping her husband’s legacy alive through this book.

Prologue

Destiny brought two individuals of different ethnicity, culture, background, age, and education together during a house-bound snowstorm. Their short and direct personal contact ended with the blizzard, but their genuine friendship outlasted the death of one of them. Unexpectedly, the memory of the deceased was revived through this book after more than thirty years of complete lack of contact between the surviving family members of the deceased and his young friend. Mystery interrupted this silence when the fortuitous recovery of a handwritten document was found at an unexpected place and time. The revelation of the deceased’s extraordinary life is the subject of this writing.

Chapter One

Fortuitous Encounter

Exhausted after running almost half

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The Somber Side of a Scientific Mind. Christian Tyoder

The Somber Side of a Scientific Mind

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