Pushkin's Second Wife — Yuri Druzhnikov

In this heartfelt collection of stories, life in Russia is vividly described -- both before and after the collapse of Communism -- as well as the plight of Russian emigres in the USA in post-communist times. From a tour guide so in love with Pushkin that she lives with his wooden effigy and a businessman intent on enjoying his Kaif, to a taxi driver taking his daughter along with him on his rounds, the characters to be found in this rambunctious volume are both recognizable and bizarre, capable of cowardly corruptions but also heroic honesties, oppressed and bewildered but also invigorated by the challenge that everyday life presents -- whatever economic system they live under.