First published 2007
Vladimir Girshkin navigates the bewildering landscape of American culture as a recent Russian immigrant. He works at a nonprofit in New York City, surrounded by the peculiarities of his new country while carrying the weight of his Russian heritage. Vladimir finds himself caught between two worlds, neither fully understanding the American dream he's supposed to pursue nor able to abandon the Russian identity that shaped him. His attempts to assimilate lead to a series of comic mishaps and cultural misunderstandings. As Vladimir struggles with questions of belonging and identity, he discovers that becoming American might mean losing parts of himself he's not ready to give up. The story follows his journey through the absurdities of immigrant life, where every interaction becomes a small battle between who he was and who he thinks he should become.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: humorous, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis
Setting: New York City, Russia
Period: 21st Century
14 pages · Audio CD · Phoenix Audio