En Passant delves into the Financial Crisis of 2008. A Montréal native working in London, David is trying to stay afloat while the financial markets plunge in disarray. He and an entire team of strategists are being laid off, but it will take an evening walk with his colleague Clarissa, which ends disturbingly, for David’s world to finally unravel. He has become the office scapegoat overnight.
As he grapples with the aftermath of this episode, David goes back and forth between London and Montréal, encountering a series of eclectic characters. Most tread with care, except for Rory, who has no qualms shaking his worldview. All will play a role on the chaotic chessboard that has become his life. Painstakingly, the once-passionate player finds the moves required to win the great endgame, only to then reset the rules altogether.
Those who do not study history are bound to repeat it. Psychologically rich and unafraid to hint at deeper truths, David’s comeback story is more relevant today than ever. The reader will feel compelled to ponder: “What if this not-so-distant past were to repeat itself tomorrow?”
Ileana Stoica, PhD is both a scientific and a creative writer. Her memoir, Where the Heart Isn’t, published by Europe Books in June 2025, is a poignant account of cultural itinerancy.
In Ileana’s second book, En Passant, we are immersed into a cinematic rendering of the 2008 Financial Crisis juxtaposed onto a deeply personal one. Trained as a Biophysicist, Ileana obtained her PhD from Cornell University, USA, and pursued research in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Over the past decade, she has led her own medical communications consultancy, SciLogism Ltd (http://www.scilogism.com), and has garnered a number of awards. The 2008 Crisis found Ileana and her family swept up in the storm of London’s collapsing financial sector.
Hans M –
The story in this book is one of awakening – a coming-of-age story where the protagonist is already a grown man, albeit young. All that needs alignment with reality is his idealism about people.
Set against the backdrop of the Financial Sector in the times of Credit Crunch, the book takes us through the lives of those that make 99% of the sector. You won’t find here tales about bonuses paid in stacks of 100-grand cheques.
After taking a hard blow as a result of his naivety, the protagonist hopes he’s gained wisdom. But when the opportunity arrives for him to go back, he is not prepared. He is no Count of Monte Cristo. Yet, he does learn with his own methods, and this time he handles things on his own terms.
It may sound anti-climactic, but there is an immense sense of closure and fulfillment in realizing there is plenty to do outside of the club that does not want you for a member. This is an ode to the small hero, for whom living to fight another day is a victory.