A Soul Divided: Memoir of a Modern Emigrant

A Soul Divided: Memoir of a Modern Emigrant inspires readers from all walks of life to keep moving forward, no matter what life throws at them… and to persist in finding their special purpose.This story of an emigrant woman, Maka Kartheiser (Kverenchkhiladze) who shares her personal journey from the European country of Georgia, her beloved homeland, to her cherished new foster country, the United States of America. The author also recalls her life experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union country.A Soul Divided is about a journey similar to thousands of fellow emigrants who, like Maka, were forced to move away from their homelands, leaving behind their lifelong friends, parents, children and… a piece of their soul. The struggle to find one's place, one's self, and one's calling is universal; for emigrants, this struggle is even more to bear. They are destined to dwell among two countries, not belonging fully to both. Thus, living with a soul divided. This book is a story of hope, inspiration, and strength to do what seems impossible. It takes your heart and soul into the experience of holding on to one's identity, roots, and culture. A Soul Divided speaks to thousands of emigrants whose journeys and hardships are all unique, and give them courage and hope. It also opens the eyes of the people of those foster countries and helps them understand emigrants' search for belonging, challenges they face, and strengths they hold while overcoming them.Author's Note: The beauty of A Soul Divided: Memoir of a Modern Emigrant is that it brings to light the similarities that we all share as humans.Copyright ©2017 by Maka Kartheiser

About the Author Maka Kartheiser (Kverenchkhiladze) was born in 1970 in Tbilisi, the capital city of the country Georgia. She experienced early life in this Soviet Union country and graduated from Tbilisi State University with a BA and MA in Arts of Georgian Language and Literature. In search of improving her life, she started to travel back and forth between the United States and Georgia. In 2004 she brought her three boys to Chicago and continued working as a nanny and caring for elders to support her children. She built new connections but kept working to preserve the culture, language, and the idea of being "Georgian." Maka sought a state of being where she would fully be able to use her abilities and education. After being a single mom for eight years, she remarried. Combining two cultures and traditions of different families and children has been an experience never to be forgotten. Living in a small town of Johnsburg, Illinois, raising four young men, and working as a substitute teacher, she shares her knowledge and experiences with the youth of that community. Maka Kartheiser, cofounder of the Georgian Cultural Center in Chicagoland, was awarded "Successful Emigrant Woman" for her tireless care of Georgian culture, language, and values among emigrants and their families, on March 13, 2017. A Soul Divided is her fourth book. Maka published her first memoir, The Journey to America, in 2012 in Tbilisi, Georgia, with Universali Publisher; the poem anthology Soul in Space, in 2014 in Tbilisi, Georgia, with David Agmashenebeli, Publisher; and Laptopiada, a collection of her essays, diaries, and short stories, in 2016 in Tbilisi, Georgia, with Saunje Publishing. All three books are written in the author's native Georgian language. The Scent of Homeland, a collection of poems from Georgian emigrants from all over the world, includes three poems by Maka Kartheiser. She also originated the idea of creating such a book to showcase emigrants' literary excellence. This is published in the Georgian language by Saunje Publishing.