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moseslh's review
4.0
This is the second memoir in two weeks that I've read about a Soviet Jew's emigration to the United States, the first being [b:Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing|17262126|Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking A Memoir of Food and Longing|Anya von Bremzen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382020231l/17262126._SY75_.jpg|23909913] (yes, I have been staying with my parents! how did you guess?). Both were fantastic but took very different approaches, and I think this one may be more accessible to readers with less prior knowledge of Russian language and culture. Golinkin's writing is dark yet funny, making it easy to read despite often unpleasant subject matter.
To be honest, even though both of my parents started their careers working with Soviet Jewish refugees, I never had much of a visceral sense of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union before reading this book. I knew that Stalin, near the end of his life, started to plot against the Jews, but I also knew that (at least on paper) the Soviets valued diversity/equality and established an autonomous Jewish region (in an admittedly less than desirable part of Siberia). What had failed to register was the way that arbitrary power, unaccountable to rule of law or meaningful democratic institutions, magnified the impact of prejudice and made a mockery of the values that (on paper) communists claimed to support. Golinkin's description of his childhood caused this to hit home for me in the context of Soviet Jewry, as well as the ways that the Soviet Union crushed the meaning and culture out of Judaism within its borders. It also made me curious about the experiences of the USSR's countless other ethnic minorities whose voices were less likely to be amplified by American media, but many of whom probably had comparable experiences to varying extents.
I quite liked this book, which was entertaining but also informative and thought-provoking. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in reading about refugee experiences or Soviet life.
To be honest, even though both of my parents started their careers working with Soviet Jewish refugees, I never had much of a visceral sense of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union before reading this book. I knew that Stalin, near the end of his life, started to plot against the Jews, but I also knew that (at least on paper) the Soviets valued diversity/equality and established an autonomous Jewish region (in an admittedly less than desirable part of Siberia). What had failed to register was the way that arbitrary power, unaccountable to rule of law or meaningful democratic institutions, magnified the impact of prejudice and made a mockery of the values that (on paper) communists claimed to support. Golinkin's description of his childhood caused this to hit home for me in the context of Soviet Jewry, as well as the ways that the Soviet Union crushed the meaning and culture out of Judaism within its borders. It also made me curious about the experiences of the USSR's countless other ethnic minorities whose voices were less likely to be amplified by American media, but many of whom probably had comparable experiences to varying extents.
I quite liked this book, which was entertaining but also informative and thought-provoking. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in reading about refugee experiences or Soviet life.
mjs_18's review
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Loved it! Couldn’t put it down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism and Bullying
salmonfry's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
touching identity exploration
cammytidwell's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Fascinating story of an immigrant family to the US from Russia in the 80's
kochella's review
5.0
This is one of the best memoirs I have read by anyone, ever. Hilarious and heartbreaking, an adventure that is grounded in deep honesty and introspection. I gained greater insight into Russia from this book than I did from the 10 other Russia/nonfiction titles I read this year combined.
So. Freaking. Great.
So. Freaking. Great.