My Life in Stalinist Russia: An American Woman Looks Back
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.92 (705 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0253214424 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 360 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-03-05 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"The thoughtful memoirs of a disillusioned daughter of the Russian Revolution. Readers will be drawn into the life of this independent-minded young woman, coming of age in a society that she believed was on the verge of achieving justice for all but which ultimately led her to disappointment and disillusionment. Although her parents soon returned to America, Mary, who was not permitted to leave, would spend the next 34 years in the Soviet Union. By year’s end, she was living in a Moscow commune and working in a factory, thousands of miles from her family, with whom she had emigrated to Birobidzhan, the area designated by the USSR as a Jewish socialist homeland. This plainly written account will particularly appeal to readers with a general interest in women’s memoirs, Russian culture and history, and leftist politics." Publishers WeeklyIn 1931, Mary M. My Life in Stalinist Russia chronicles Leder’s experiences from the extraordinary perspective
Mary M. . Leder has lived in New York since her return from the Soviet Union in 1965
"This fantastic book deserves a wider audience." according to Zoltan Newberry. I found Mary's book hard to put down, and not because I too am Jewish and my Mother's name is Mary.I really hope some of my progressive Jewish friends read it. It reads so well and is a very deep look into the sickness of the Russian soul and the dreary brutality and horrible corruption which accompanies all collectivism and redistribution.Please read this before you vote for another Democrat.. "Intriguing and Informative" according to A Customer. Although I have read a number of books on the Soviet Union, much to my surprise, I found myself totally absorbed by Mary Leder's odyssey. Starting with her travels across the US, and thence to Birobidzhan (Siberia), later asked to spy and, of course, spied upon, I believe Ms. Leder spins an eloquent and gripping tale. From Mary the dedicated communist to Mary the disenchanted one, from Mary the factory worker to Mary the editor-translator, she paints a totally honest an. Roman Dubov said Very humane and honest. A great account of how people lived in the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule. The advantage of this book is that it gives you the facts in such a way that it is up to you to decide whether or not the author is right in her conclusions. I strongly recommend this book for both academic and private reading for I believe it is one of the most unique books ever written about the lifes of regular Soviet citizens.
in the 1960s. Once arrived in a rural village in the Soviet Far East in 1931, Mary, a 15-year-old who shared her parents' politics, was appalled at the primitive living conditions and insisted on going to Moscow, where she began working at a factory with the help of her step-uncle. Leder has a marvelous memory for the details of everyday life, from living arrangements and survival during the terror to discussions of the law forbidding abortion in 1936 and the marriage "reform" law reintroducing illegitimacy in 1944, as well as for the many friends she made. When her disillusioned parents returned to the U.S. While attending the University of Moscow, she was recruited into a secret spy school, which folded during the Great Purge Trials. In this engrossing memoir, Leder (Sonia's Daughters) recounts the 34 years she lived in the U.S.S.R., working at a motor factory, then as proofreader, editor and translator at the Foreign Workers' Publishing Hous