To say that this book is heavy is an understatement.

The reason for five stars is that the selection of interviews depicts the Soviet culture so very clearly. The culture of generational trauma, their fears, full scale of emotional confusion and bewilderment, soul wrenching despair and methods of adaptation to the harsh climate of the Soviet Union and the life after it's fall. The authors interviews show the fall of the Soviet Union from various perspectives: from government officials to regular working people.

It's very clear that the author is very nonjudgemental and there in lies her power. She allows people to open up and show their true selves all their hopes dreams and most of all the deepest pain. I think the author succeeds in transporting us into other people's lives, in making the history personal and relevant.

The translation into English is superb, the translator was able to carry through not just main ideas but also many nuances of the culture and the language.