The Russian Album - Softcover

Ignatieff, Michael

4.03

188 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143054651 ISBN 13: 9780143054658

Publisher: Penguin Canada, 2006

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This dramatic and poignant chronicle of four generations of a Russian family begins in the dazzling court of Tsar Alexander III, traces the Ignatieff family's rise to power and influence in the imperial regime of Tsar Nicholas II, and sweeps us into an avalanche of revolution, civil war, and exile.

Drawing on family diaries, photographs in an old family album, and stories passed down from father to son, Michael Ignatieff movingly comes to terms with the meaning of his family's memories and history in an extraordinary time.

Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award and the Heineman Prize

"A remarkable picture of a lost world ... moving and understated..."—The Daily Telegraph (London)

"A family memoir written with acute intelligence and sensitivity ... a well-told story of fidelity, folly, and a trust in the persistence of a tight family structure."—The Globe and Mail

"Through skilful use of diaries, photos, heirlooms, and history, Ignatieff recaptures the essence of old Russia and shows how the fate of families and nations intertwine and how both endure. Highly recommended."—Library Journal

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About the Author:

Michael Ignatieff is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, among other publications, and the author of many acclaimed books, including Blood and Belonging, Isaiah Berlin, Virtual War, The Warrior's Honor, The Needs of Strangers, and The Russian Album. He lives in London and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Review:

“A vividly fascinating account by a gifted writer who sweeps back the curtain from the past, revealing it full of color and life.” ―Suzanne Massie, The New York Times Book Review

“A rich story of a cultivated elite bound to a disintegrating autocracy.” ―Walter Goodman, The New York Times

“The Russian Album is a poignant family memoir, a fitting close to Russian life before the 'red curtain of the revolution.'” ―Elena Brunet, Los Angeles Times

“A vivid, fascinating account by a gifted writer who sweeps back the curtain from the past, revealing it full of color and life.” ―New York Times

“Spellbinding...a family history, focusing on the author's grandparents who fled with their young sons from the Russian Revolution . . . But this is more than a family memoir. It's a meditation on rootlessness and belonging, and on the ambivalent feelings we all have about the lost past and about our forbears. Not to be missed.” ―Victoria Glendinning, Vogue

“An exemplary Russian performance.” ―Bruce Chatwin

“The Russian Album is a work of such evocative power that the story of one family will speak volumes to many.” ―Maclean's

“The Russian Album is a joy to read. Every sentence seems heartfelt. And the book as a whole is likely to captivate all who are interested in the question of roots.” ―Cleveland Plain Dealer

“This beautifully written book . . . is about tenderness, courage, and a sublime life-force.” ―The Observer (London)

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