As a reader with little background in Russian history or literature, I appreciated the gentleness the author showed in these areas, while still giving me a firm nudge toward them. The characters always come first in this story, and I enjoyed getting to know them. In the end I asked myself, is the story overly optimistic? Does it gloss over too many horrors? So far I lean towards saying no, the depth is there if you want to look for it, even if the story doesn't dwell on it.