Book Reviews
A gripping tale of business and politics
The transformation of the Central and Eastern Europe nations from a planned economy to a free market one was a complicated process that unfolded over the last 30 years. For those pioneers with a vision and a willingness to take a risk, it provided exciting opportunities. Others found the transformation challenging to manage and the new reality much harder to deal with. For those with skewed moral compasses and dark intentions, this period also delivered prospects of gaining massive wealth relatively quickly, but often at the costly expense of others. These scenarios can be found in the upcoming novel titled The Ark by Kraków-based entrepreneur John Lynch. The fictional tale brings the reader on a whirlwind of action, on both sides of the Atlantic, and with much of the story taking place in Poland, Ukraine and Romania. It shows both the bright side of business and the darker side of finance in an ever-globalising world – with this region at its centre.
Further Reading: The Ark
Inspired by true events, long-term American expat and entrepreneur John Lynch talks about his debut novel, The Ark…
THE ARK
Sacrificing a burgeoning career with Ralph Lauren, Bronx-raised Truman Chase transforms his family’s ailing clothing firm in Krakow into a booming success only to find his dreams shattered when a hostile takeover sees his hard work vanish.
Set largely in Poland, what follows is a high-strung thriller as Chase fights to save everything he believes in from the unscrupulous fund that’s out to destroy him.
Lynch makes entrepreneurship ‘thrilling’ in The Ark.
A Book Review, By Andrew Kureth, Senior Editor, Geopolitical Intelligence Services (Vaduz, Liechtenstein)
Hostile takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, office technology security, accounting practices and business law might sound like a course load for an MBA, but John Lynch, a new American author based in Poland, has made them the backbone of his debut thriller, The Ark – to considerable success.
Lynch manages to keep these subjects simple, even making them exciting, all while weaving them into a story of international intrigue that whisks the reader from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the shadows of the Chernobyl reactor in Ukraine, via New York, Philadelphia, Bucharest, Kiev and most of all, Poland.
The plot of The Ark follows Truman Chase, an American with Polish roots who moves back to the old country to save the family clothing business in Krakow. Within 10 years, he has built a successful fashion company poised to take Europe by storm.