Like a drop of ink in a downpour : memories of Soviet Russia / Yelena Lembersky, Galina Lembersky.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lembersky, Yelena, author.

Lembersky, Galina, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lembersky, Galina.

Lembersky, Yelena.

Soviet Union--Biography.

Soviet Union.

Women--Soviet Union--Biography.

Women.

Jews--Soviet Union--Biography.

Jews.

Artists--Soviet Union--Biography.

Artists.

Russian Americans--Biography.

Russian Americans.

Prisoners--Soviet Union--Biography.

Prisoners.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 257 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

Brookline, MA : Cherry Orchard Books, 2022.

Summary:

"Alëna Lembersky is a young girl growing up Soviet Russia in the 1970s. Though her life in Leningrad is circumscribed by the deprivation of Communist regime, it is also full: full of her family's love, her friends, her school, the richness of her vivid imagination, and the legacy of her grandfather, an artist whose celebrated paintings captured the beauty of the world around them. Alëna's life is upended when her grandmother emigrates to America, and her single mother, Galia, is unjustly incarcerated. Galia's ordeals-a corrupt trial in a broken system, a stint in prison, and service in a labor camp-come close to breaking her spirit, but through it all, she remains a devoted and loving mother to Alëna, able to send her daughter beautiful (and sometimes hilariously nagging) letters that deepen their bond even through their long and fraught separation. Told in the dual points of view of both Alëna and Galia, Like a Drop of Ink in a Downpour is a clear-eyed look at the reality of life under Communist rule, giving us an insider's perspective on the roots of contemporary Russia. But it is also a coming of age story about a budding artist, full of beauty and vitality and life. Heartfelt, moving, and funny, it is a testament to the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters, and the healing power of art"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. ONE ALENA

In the Woods

From the Beginning

Village in a Stack

The Rain and the Frost

The Lessons and the Unspoken

A Time to Uproot

Papochka

To Fairyland

Within and Without

pt. TWO GALIA

The Rain You Accidentally Saw

My Childhood

My Marriage

The Decision to Emigrate

The Supermarket

The Beauty Salon

Kosmetika's District Branch

The Unplanned

Kresti Prison

The Zona: Sablino Labor Camp

The City of Bitter

pt. THREE ALENA

Adolescence

A Time to Wait

Drawing with Erasers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Other Format:

Online version : Lembersky, Yelena. Like a drop of ink in a downpour

ISBN:

9781644696699

164469669X

OCLC:

1280406246