Book Design Binding

Etapa Finală

Etapa Finală (Final Stage) is a 61-page, case-bound book that explores the stages of growing up in Communist Romania. By weaving together firsthand testimonies and photographs, this book attempts to understand my father’s upbringing and family’s decision to flee Romania in the 1980s.

InDesign

6 Weeks / Fall 2025

Sole Designer

Povești ale României comuniste.
Stories from Communist Romania.

As a child of an immigrant who has only ever known an American upbrininging, I often feel lost while trying to understand life in Romania. No matter how many stories I ask my dad to share, the realities of living under communism are impossible to fully grasp through anecdotes alone.

By creating this book, I took my cultural education into my own hands. While I know I can never fully understand my dad’s experiences, gathering stories from so many Romanians brought me closer to his history than I’ve ever felt before. It offered a sense of catharsis, and a window into a world I’ve longed to feel connected to.