This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman.
In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera (“Faith” in Russian) from the steppes of Central Asia to a remote, forest-bound community of Estonians, to the chaos of Moscow. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration...