Diary of 66

The Night I Burned Alive

Published by Histria Perspectives
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
LIST PRICE $19.99

About The Book

Diary of 66 is a deeply moving and harrowing memoir that sheds light on the personal and systemic tragedies surrounding the Colectiv Club fire and its aftermath. The book’s greatest strength lies in its raw honesty and intimate portrayal of suffering—not only physical but also emotional and institutional.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER FOR "BEST MEMOIR" IN THE 2024 READERS' FAVORITE AWARDS

Diary of 66 is one woman's triumph over tragedy, and also a warning about the often-deadly consequences of corruption, in all of its shapes and forms.

Witness the harrowing account of survival, systemic betrayal, and the fight for dignity after Romania's deadliest nightclub fire—a rock journalist's unflinching memoir of trauma and resilience.

On October 30, 2015, Alexandra Furnea attended a concert by Romanian metal band Goodbye to Gravity at Bucharest's Colectiv Club. Within minutes, pyrotechnics ignited the venue's flammable soundproofing, trapping hundreds in an inferno. Sixty-five people died, and many survivors faced an equally brutal battle: a corrupt healthcare system riddled with hospital-acquired infections, negligent and brutal care, and institutional denial. Diary of 66 chronicles Alexandra's excruciating journey from the flames through months of agonizing treatment in Romanian hospitals, where inadequate pain management, multidrug-resistant bacteria, and systemic failures compounded her suffering.

This memoir exposes the intersection of personal trauma and societal collapse. Alexandra's detailed account—from torturous "bath-time" procedures without anesthesia to her eventual transfer to a German burn rehabilitation clinic—reveals the stark disparities in healthcare and the strength required to reclaim one's body and identity. Her voice as a music journalist brings cultural depth, situating the tragedy within Romania's underground scene and broader issues of corruption and neglect.

Diary of 66 is a searing indictment of institutional failure and a testament to the human spirit's capacity to endure unimaginable pain, offering an intimate portrait of survival, loss, and the ongoing quest for healing and justice.

About The Author

Alexandra Furnea is a Romanian journalist, social activist and writer. She has worked for over ten years as a music journalist, promoting the local and international rock scene. While attending a concert she was supposed to write a review for on October 30th 2015, she was severely injured in what came to be known as the "Colectiv Club fire". She survived and wrote her memoir, "Jurnalul lui 66", which became a bestseller in Romania. It unmasked the corruption that was to blame for her ordeal and the death of 65 young and promising Romanians.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Histria Perspectives (October 15, 2024)
  • Length: 240 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781592114368

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Raves and Reviews

A real life 'tales from the Crypt' written from the sinister 'hospital of the neverhealing', with Chuck Palahniuk’s pen, dipped in Edgar Allan Poe’s ink.

– Marius Chivu, Dilema Veche Magazine (Romania)

This memoir will hit you like a ton of bricks. It's painful, graphic, and so real. The abuse, the filth, and the lies seen through Alexandra's eyes brought back that deep feeling of hatred for the corrupt political administration, and for those who choose a profession not out of empathy but out of the pursuit of money and social status.

– Diana Livesay, investigative journalist

I’ve never encountered a more convincing description of physical and moral Hell in any of the literature I’ve read so far. This is not just a book. It’s a necessary historical document for every Romanian, and a piece of writing that can easily hold its own among names like Evghenia Ghinzburg or Primo Levi.

– Doru Castaian, professior, translator, editor

Whenever a writer succeeds in bringing the right words together, they perform a corrective endeavor upon the world, they right the world’s ugliness. This is what Diary of 66 manages to do.

– Gabriel Liiceanu, Romanian author

Diary of 66 is an incredible memoir and Alexandra Furnea describes everything she experienced in clear, horrifying detail. What makes this book so beautiful, even in light of all that had happened, is that Furnea demonstrates empathy and compassion toward herself and others who have suffered similar fates. In her writing, she uses metaphors that show a deep understanding of pain and trauma with lines like, "The stories their intricate designs tell are no longer only of pain and destruction, but also of redemption, and the latter have multiplied, with every surgery that succeeded and every kindhearted human being who healed instead of harming." Stories like Furnea's are the ones that need to be told so that what happened is amplified to the point that it never, ever happens again. Very highly recommended.

– Jamie Michele, Readers' Favorite

Diary of 66 is a powerful memoir about a catastrophic fire that connects the personal suffering of the victims and their families to political malfeasance. 

– Michele Sharpe, Foreword Reviews

“Diary of 66” is a testament to those interested in a life story that not only carries personal history but also challenges customary societal norms and discrepancies. It’s an exceptionally influential memoir that is likely to prompt contemplation among readers well beyond the last page.

– Deviant Quill Reviews

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