A memoir
From her diaries · Mădălina
The story
Andrew Benson was a divorced and world-weary English businessman, and never expected his life to change on a business trip to Romania in 1998. But then he met Mădălina.
Brilliant, fiery, ahead of her time and yet deeply traditional, Mady was unlike anyone he had ever known. Against all logic they fell in love, and in time she left behind everything she knew to build a new life with him in England.
Her name means “Magnificent”, a Romanian name with Greek and Hebrew roots.
Shaped by once-wealthy ancestry and by the hardship and poverty of communism, Mădălina carried traditional values and an unshakable belief in the power of love.
She was an entrepreneur, a writer and a visionary. Long before social media existed she built a thriving online community for Romanians in the UK: a place for social life, news, events, services and jobs, and a home for her countrymen far from home.
A lifetime of helping others was reward enough for Mădălina. Many people found in her their best friend.
Grace, elegance and passion; independent, determined, inventive, competitive, sensitive and deep-thinking.
In her words
From Mady’s diaries and her own writing
Praise
A beautiful read, and one that had me feeling several emotions, not least the hope that love can arrive and change your world when you least expect it.
”Anna Mansell · Author
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Available to pre-order
The full story, in Andrew's words and in Mady's own, with extracts from her diaries and her writing.
Pre-order now, ahead of the 28 October 2026 release. Order from:
Also available to order from any bookshop worldwide, quote ISBN 978-1-80634-209-9.
Troubador Publishing · Hardback
A premium hardback with a printed dust jacket, gold and silver foil, embossing and white silk paper, chosen for the printed photographs inside.