First published 2016
Gerasim lives as a deaf and mute serf in nineteenth-century Russia. His world changes when he finds and rescues a small dog he names Mumu. The bond between man and animal becomes his only source of joy in a life marked by servitude and hardship. Gerasim cares for Mumu with fierce devotion, finding in this relationship something that transcends his isolation and the brutal conditions of serfdom. But the connection that gives his existence meaning also makes him vulnerable to the whims of those who control his fate. When his attachment to the dog conflicts with the demands of his masters, Gerasim faces an impossible choice. The story reveals how even the smallest freedoms can be stripped away under an oppressive system, and how love itself becomes both salvation and torment for those who have nothing else to call their own.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, man-and-animal
Setting: Russia
Period: 19th-Century
Paperback · Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: abuse, animal-death