The Girl who Would be Russian and Other StoriesA community of elderly Russians, fugitives from the Revolution and from Stalin, lives in little Plankton, Maine. There they reminisce, nurse their grievances against the world and each other, and relate tentatively to the rest of America. Johnson tells their stories with great humor, compassion, and sorrow for the lost world they represent, however illusory it actually was. The result is a heartwarming book that skirts but never trespasses into sentimentality. Most of the seven stories are richly comic, such as the title tale and "Prayer for the Dying" (an O'Henry Award winner). Yet the last two pieces, "Heir to the Realm," a poignant quasifantasy linking the community's three most interesting women, and "The Last Song of Exile," about a much-wronged old man's descent into suspicious madness, surprise with their grave power. ISBN 0-15-135691-2: $15.95. |
Contents
The Great Valentinova | 1 |
The Ice Fish | 21 |
Prayer for the Dying | 47 |
Copyright | |
4 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
arms asked Austria balalaika ballerina baroness batyushka began Brown chairs Christian church coat dance dark Debbie door eyes face Farley Father Alexey Father Vladimir Fedorenko feel felt fingers Florenskaya front Ga-ree galoshes girl glass going Gregor Mironovich hair hand head hear heard Hotel Nicholas husband ikon kitchen knew Krenko ladies laugh legs Lisaveta Stepanova lived looked Marietta Valentinova Maxim Maximovich mother mouth nice Nicholas the Second night old woman once Palchinsky Plankton porch priest pulled remembered river Russian Sarajevo Shostakovich smell smile Smolnov snow Sofie Sofie's Sofya Andreyevna song Sonya stairs stood stopped stove street Sunday talking television tell thing thought told took town tried trying Tsar turned Ukrainian Vasily the Blessed Vernon Victor vodka voice waiting walk watched Waters widow's walk wife window winter woods words young
References to this book
The Maine Reader: The Down East Experience from 1614 to the Present Charles E. Shain,Samuella Shain No preview available - 1997 |