BookwormBy John Andrews
This month I have for the delight of Newsletter readers an exceptionally moving and beautiful account of a Russian childhood by Eugenie Fraser, published in 1984 by Corgi.
This is an autobiography, which provides a sweeping account of life in Russia both before and immediately after the Revolution. The House by the Dvina is the fascinating story of two families, separated in culture and geography, but bound together by a Russian-Scottish marriage.
Fraser takes us into the heart of her family, beginning with the extraordinary courtship of her parents: her mother Nelly Cameron from a Scottish family in Broughty Ferry and her father, Gherman, from Russia.
Nelly’s journey into the depths of a Russian winter for her marriage and Eugenie’s early childhood as a product of two cultures is all marvellously described. However, as the events of 1914 to 1920 start to unfold, the slow disintegration of the country and family life take their toll.
The stark realities of hunger, deprivation and fear are sharply contrasted with the day-to-day experiences seen through the eyes of a young girl growing up in an alien environment.
I hope you enjoy this tale as much as I, and I leave you to find out the fate of this family as they struggle for identity and freedom.