First published 1992
The protagonist travels down the massive Ob River through the heart of Siberia. Along the waterway, he encounters coal miners emerging from underground shifts, their faces blackened with dust. Oil workers tend to drilling equipment in remote settlements. Indigenous tribesmen maintain traditional ways of life despite the industrial transformation around them. Politicians navigate the complexities of regional power. Black market traders move goods through shadowy networks that operate beyond official oversight. Each encounter reveals another layer of Siberian society. The river journey becomes a passage through a world where ancient traditions collide with modern industry, where survival depends on adaptation and resourcefulness. The protagonist discovers that beneath Siberia's harsh exterior lies a complex web of human relationships and economic realities that few outsiders ever witness.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, travel, adventure
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, journey
Setting: Siberia, Ob River
Period: 20th-century
317 pages · Hardcover · Putnam Adult