Thoughts and Stories from My Russian Sojourn

Most Americans' views on Russia are muddled. And while some might try to clear their confusion by picking up a history book or an academic tome, many will simply write this confusion off as unimportant-and miss out on the remarkable culture of Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Author Marshall A. Botkin, PhD, offers a fresh alternative. An American with Slavic roots, he began exploring the lands of his ancestors in the 1990s. Throughout his travels, he wrote short fiction as a unique way to journal about the people, places, and events he encountered. First writing only for himself, he soon realized that the best answer to the question people kept asking him-what are Russians like?-is a good story.

Explore Russian history with "A Dog and a Man in the Park." Learn about the universal language of love in "The Russian Heart." Pound the pavement of St. Petersburg in "I Like the Street." Uncover how Russians approach those tough life situations that defy explanation in the mystery of "The Velvet Box."

Mixing comedy and tragedy with fact and fiction, this collection of short stories gives you a true glimpse of the human experience-Russian-style.