A fairytale story and cleverly designed plot that is full of symbolism having to do with the Russian soul and nature. It's a nice, relaxing read with beautiful language and descriptions of the Russian folkways. The Russian-Afghanistan war is mentioned as a gross afterthought, but not too heavily so as to distract the reader from the main story about a Russian girl coming of age and losing her English expatriate father in Egypt. Even the hardships of the Russian poor and the father's imprisonment are crafted so as to present a glimpse of present social situations without being overdone. All in all, it's a lovely tale with strong characters that give the reader a taste of Eastern life, its joys and its difficulties.