In Search of The Russian Bear

In 1983, Florida author Patrick Smith and his wife Iris traveled throughout the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan through an invitation from the Soviet Writers Union. Smith relates these experiences through fascinating stories and images in this fun, factual chronicle. Excerpt from the book: "This story takes place in a time when the former Soviet Union was still very much the Soviet Union and was known throughout the Western World as “The Iron Curtain.” It was a land of mystery and intrigue and few Americans visited there except in guided tour groups. Fewer still were given the opportunity to mingle freely with the people. This book is in no way a political treatise. It is a story of people, places, and things. Perhaps it will give the reader an intimate glimpse of ordinary, everyday people both in Russia and Middle Asia. Hopefully, it will also bring alive some fascinating places you may never have the opportunity to see first-hand." You'll enjoy Patrick's unique brand of humor as well as heartfelt moments. He paints vivid pictures of places few Americans have seen or will see. There is also much in this book for food lovers to enjoy as well. The descriptions of food, both Russian and Uzbek, are exceptional. In Search of The Russian Bear is unlike any other book set in Eastern Europe and Middle Asia. It's an enthralling journey to exotic lands, shared by one of Florida's great storytellers.

Patrick Smith is the author of seven novels: The River Is Home, The Beginning, Forever Island, Angel City, Allapattah, A Land Remembered, and The Seas That Mourn, and a story collection, A White Deer and Other Stories. He is also co-author of the non-fiction book The Last Ride and author of the non-fiction book In Search of The Russian Bear. He is a 1999 inductee into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, the highest and most prestigious cultural honor that can be bestowed upon an individual by the state of Florida. In May 2002 Smith was the recipient of the Florida Historical Society's Fay Schweim Award as the "Greatest Living Floridian." The one-time-only award was established to honor the one individual who has contributed the most to Florida in recent history. Smith has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize, in 1973 for Forever Island, which was a 1974 selection of Reader's Digest Condensed Books both in the English language edition and in all of the worldwide foreign language editions; in 1978 for Angel City, which was produced as a "Movie of the Week" for the CBS television network; and in 1984 for A Land Remembered, which was an Editors' Choice selection of the New York Times Book Review. Smith's lifetime work was nominated for the 1985 Nobel Prize for Literature. Previous honors include: Tebeau Prize for A Land Remembered as the Most Outstanding Historical Novel, Florida Historical Society, 1986; Outstanding Author Award, Council for Florida Libraries, 1986; Communications Achievement Award, Toastmasters International, 1987; Environmental Writer's Award, Florida Audubon Society, 1987; FLORIDA TODAY Best Writer Award, 1987, 1990, 1992; Medal of Honor, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 1988; Order of the South Award, Southern Academy of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 1996; Florida Ambassador of the Arts Award, Florida Department of State, 1996; the first Florida Cracker Heritage Award, presented for outstanding contribution to Florida Cracker pioneer heritage, Florida Cracker Trail Association, 1997; Florida Literary Legend Award, Florida Heritage Book Festival, St. Augustine, 2008. In 1997, the Florida Historical Society created a new annual award, the Patrick D. Smith Florida Literature Award, in his honor. In June 2013, Smith was selected as one of the Great Floridians. Governor Rick Scott and his wife personally came to his home to give him this award.