New Literary Novel Explores the Cost of Keeping a Promise

ORANGE, Calif. - June 25, 2025 - PRLog -- Dessa's Crossing: A Novel and Other Stories by Atanas Radenski, published June 24, 2025, on Amazon, is a haunting and deeply human work of literary fiction about the emotional cost of keeping a promise—and the price of breaking free.

"Radenski's prose is lyrical yet precise, imbuing each narrative with a quiet urgency that lingers long after the final page... Perfect for readers who love stories of migration, both geographical and emotional… Experimental yet accessible literary fiction."
— Sarah Jensen, reviewer on NetGalley and Goodreads

Dessa Sinich, a mountain search-and-rescue volunteer in the Pacific Northwest, has spent years honoring a promise to her late twin brother—helping his widow raise their son. But that promise has left her tethered to a life that no longer feels like her own. Bound to a family that isn't truly hers and engaged to her former sister-in-law, Dessa longs to break free. Freedom means crossing borders—both literal and emotional—and nothing worthwhile comes without risk.

The novel is accompanied by seven linked short stories that deepen and expand Dessa's world, offering other perspectives and emotional counterpoints.

Atanas Radenski is based in California and writes fiction inspired by unusual yet real-life people, places, and events. Dessa's Crossing draws on his daughter's experience as a mountain rescue technician in the Pacific Northwest.

Read more:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230883837-dessa-s-crossing
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3D5NJFX