From the Publisher
The Raskin Family is a vivid, compelling portrait of Jewish life in the twilight of the Russian Empire. Dmitry Stonov fashions his semi-autobiographical novel with deep feeling but without either sentimentality or nostalgia for what was lost. His characters, like his many family members, struggle to make a life for themselves in the face of unrelenting pressures and prejudice until social and political change, accelerated by war and revolution, engulf their traditional lives in the Jewish Pale of Settlement. First published in Moscow in 1929, and then republished under Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989, The Raskin Family is a stunning achievement. — Joshua Rubenstein, author of The Last Days of Stalin
The Raskin Family, with its intimate portraits of individuals in the Pale of Settlement before the start of the Russian revolution, is akin to the stories of Sholem Aleichem. Not only is it a record of its time, it is a psychological novel written in a vibrant poetic style with humor and cinematic clarity. A worthy addition to anyone's library. — Larry Lerner, President, Union of Councils for Jews in the former Soviet Union (UCSJ)
“Aside from his excellent prose, Stonov’s book contains precious details about an era whose features are barely discernible today.
The Raskin Family paints a picture of the fate of an entire generation standing at the historic threshold that began with great hopes and ended with those hopes crushed. This autobiographical novel has outlived its author and will no doubt remain not only on library shelves but also in the grateful memory of the upcoming generations.” —
David Markish, author of To Become Lutov
