Dissident

Communist Czechoslovakia, 1972. A rigid ideology grips every corner of life. Yuri Dvořák, a son of communism, never planned to become a threat to the state.

Raised amid the rigid order of a Party-controlled collective farm, Yuri's world is shaken when his family relocates to the city. The sound atheism and Communist worldview Yuri once embraced begin to unravel. The Christian influences of Yuri's childhood collide with the allure of a high-ranking official's daughter and the promise of a comfortable life within the Party.

Torn between conscience and survival, Yuri is forced into an impossible choice that will test his courage and faith.

Dissident explores the quiet heroism of speaking the truth in a world ruled by fear and lies.

Roderick McDonald is a retired oil-field geologist and software engineer who now writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Dissident: A Story of Conscience in Cold War Czechoslovakia, reflects his interest in faith, truth, and moral courage under oppressive regimes. Though retired, he admits he's still figuring out what he wants to do when he grows up.