First published 1994
Anne Applebaum travels the borderlands between Poland and Russia, encountering a patchwork of cultures, religions, and national aspirations as the region emerges from Soviet rule. In Vilnius, a Lithuanian professor and his Polish neighbors clash over historical claims to the city. In Minsk, a young couple revives Belarusian nationalism by piecing together ancient traditions, while another resident works to recover the lost Jewish heritage. Applebaum's rich encounters and vivid characters illuminate the shaping power of the past in this borderlands on the brink of a new future.
Genres: history, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Eastern Europe, Vilnius, Minsk
Period: Soviet Rule
314 pages · Paperback · Papermac