Otherland | Maria Tumarkin #UnderstandingUkraine

It is on the train from Russia to Ukraine that the moment I have been waiting for finally comes, and Billie refuses to use the toilet, point-blank. Maria Tumarkin is an Australian writer of memoirs and cultural histories. Her books and essays tend to include oodles of fascinating things about the nature of memory, change … Continue reading Otherland | Maria Tumarkin #UnderstandingUkraine

Chernobyl Prayer: A Chronicle of the Future | Svetlana Alexievich #ReadtheNobels

I don't know what to tell you about. Death or love? Or is it the same thing. What should I tell you about?... Prologue: A Lone Human Voice I'm so very glad I read Chernobyl Prayer. I really appreciate the type of history Svetlana Alexievich has captured in her books. It's oral history, or more … Continue reading Chernobyl Prayer: A Chronicle of the Future | Svetlana Alexievich #ReadtheNobels

Understanding Ukraine Mini Reviews

Part of understanding what is happening in Ukraine right now, obviously involves understanding the shared and heavily intertwined history of Ukraine with Russia over time. After reading Sheila Fitzpatricks's great catch-up book, The Shortest History of the Soviet Union, I went back in time to the Russian Revolution, October (see below) followed by another shortest … Continue reading Understanding Ukraine Mini Reviews