Kepler's 2020 Project in the News:
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Russian Winter is a novel about a Soviet-era prima ballerina, retired and living in Boston, who confronts her past as she puts up for auction the jewelry she took when she defected from her country and left her husband behind. Nina "The Butterfly" Revskaya, now 79, reveals little about her past to Drew Brooks, the curious auction house representative. Joining their story is foreign language professor Grigori Solodin, who translated the poetry of Nina's husband and who offers an additional item for auction: the amber necklace he inherited from his birth parents. In extended flashbacks, Nina recalls intimate moments with her husband, happy and disturbing times with his best friend, and encounters with her own childhood. Meanwhile, Drew and Grigori delve into the jewelry's origins, hoping to learn as much about the jewels as their own pasts.
This story is immersed in the life of Stalinist Russia. It is a difficult
time for artists, a time of secrecy, fear, censorship, unknown consequences,
and uncertain future. The beautiful poetry, music, literature, and dance
of the era, all of which is described beautifully, come to life. This
novel has great characters and would make a wonderful book club choice. -- Sina H. |
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