Elan, Elan – Novel

e·lan
/āˈlän, āˈlan/
noun: energy, style, and enthusiasm or vigorous spirit
“a rousing march, played with great elan”

Overview: As much as I love movies and the visual medium, I also hold books near and dear to my heart. The written word has the ability to transcend its readers into a whole imagined word. And so, I’ve always wanted to write my own novels. Elan, Elan is my first one. The old adage is write what you know. This novel was inspired by my summers spent in Slovakia, where my family is from and where I have witnessed firsthand the changes that have unfolded, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to entering the European Union. Slovakia is a young nation that’s still trying to form its identity within the world—much like the characters in Elan, Elan.

Synopsis: Erik plans on making this summer the best ever, mainly to soften the blow to his best friend Dani when he leaves for secondary school in the fall. But his noble plans are immediately compromised when Erik’s old crush Ivana returns to their rural Slovakian town. Seeing Ivana again brings Erik’s old feelings racing back to the surface, but she hasn’t come back alone—Ivana is now dating Erik’s most hated foe. Erik has dirt on the rival, but using it to break them up might mean losing Ivana forever. With Erik distracted, Dani faces a summer of brutal struggles and rough transitions on his own. With all these yearnings, secrets, and changes in the air, can Erik and Dani’s lifelong friendship survive the summer?