First published 2016
Svetlana Alexievich's Secondhand Time assembles a chorus of personal stories from the ruins of the USSR. Weaving together dozens of intimate testimonies, it charts the decline of Soviet culture and the uneasy birth of modern Russia. From the ashes of Communism, Alexievich's subjects reckon with shattered dreams, tarnished ideals, and the hope of forging a new future. Poignant, reflective, and deeply human, their stories create a powerful alternative history of a nation in transition.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, russian-literature
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-narrative
Setting: Russia (Federation), Soviet Union
Period: 1991-
496 pages · Paperback · Random House Trade Paperbacks