William B. Martin

Anya's husband, a submariner, has died at sea, leaving Anya alone with her baby daughter. She returns to Moscow, but rebuilding her life is unexpectedly hard. It's the 1990s, and Moscow is undergoing dramatic social and economic changes. The old ways of living and making money don't work. Anya has to find new ways to survive, and fast. Her new life takes Anya from Moscow to Poland to Beijing, with dramatic experiences and encounters with violent crime, deceit, and corruption.

Anya, a 17-year-old high school graduate, can't wait to marry her high school sweetheart and have a secure and stable life with him. Even when Russia is thrown into political turmoil and economic hardships, from food shortages and long grocery lines to exorbitant prices and late-night monetary reforms, Anya believes that love will persevere. Then, life takes an unexpected turn, and Anya has to face deceit, betrayal, and humiliation from the person closest to her.

Most books about the Soviet Union focus on politics, food shortages, or lack of democratic freedoms. This collection of stories portrays everyday experiences of a young girl growing up in the Soviet Union of the 1970s. Childhood can be a magical and innocent time, oblivious to political regimes and problems. And that's what these 12 stories strive to convey.

It's a warm June morning at Aunt Karina's house, but the air suddenly turns cold. Thick, white snowflakes are falling down and covering the ground. Ten-year-old Alex is surprised and delighted. He senses the approach of a new adventure. Together with his nine-year-old sister, Katie, he rushes into the winter forest in search of a little girl, Masha. She is lost in an unexpected storm. They see her footprints in the snow and follow them.