Two Lives One Russia Author:Nicholas Daniloff Nicholas Daniloff's arrest by the KGB in the fall of 1986 made headlines around the world, but the roots of that story ran deeper than anyone knew. Daniloff's imprisonment was in fact an echo of his family's past, for his great-great-grandfather, Alexander Frolov, was also a prisoner of the Russian state. In this rich and absorbing book, Danilof... more »f weaves a double narrative that vividly brings two worlds to life: yesterday's Russia and today's Soviet Union.
These parallel stories--told in alternating chapters--have all the color and drama of a good novel. One story provides a detailed account of Daniloff's two-week stay in Moscow's infamous Lefortova prison. At the center of this dramatic, often harrowing tale is Colonel Sergadeyev, the interrogator who was determined to prove that Daniloff was an American spy. The second story describes the author's five-year search for his Russian heritage, a search inspired by an old family ring and a passionate curiosity about his ancestor's long prison sentence for revolutionary activities. Part treasure hunt, part odyssey, Daniloff's investagion into the life of Alexander Frolov paints a fascinating portrait of nineteenth-century Russian. Together, these stories speak eloquently about the frightening powers of a totalitarian state and the universal urge to forge a link with the past.
At a time when Americans are especially curious about the Soviet Union, Nicholas Daniloff offers a unique and deeply personal book about his long experience with that still-mysterious nation.« less