Khirs'ha-yi raqsan (khirad va ḥikmat-i zindigī 14): Persian 1401

For many years, the Bulgarian gypsies taught the bears to dance. With the fall of communism, the bears also gained their freedom. However, when stressed or in an unexpected situation, they fire an old reflex and stand on their hind legs, ready to show off their tricks. During his journalistic travels in Poland, Albania, and Bulgaria, Witold Sablowski captures the fascinating stories of people who are as free as domesticated bears, but who still often yearn for the communist era. In his hometown, for example, he meets staunch Stalin worshipers and a Ukrainian cleric for whom the European Union is an evil seductress. Dancing Bears is a fascinating allegorical book about great social upheavals in which people must find their way in a new social and political landscape. Many can feel like orphans, just like bears without a boss.