I completely agree with Matt B. It's cold in Siberia and the winters are long and dark. The history is long and oppressive. And it takes someone who speaks Russian and who lives among these interesting people to find out how it affects their lives. You'll understand more about how the Gulag worked and what life is like now good and bad. How beautiful and ugly the world can be. Wonderful writing that absorbs and surrounds you, then opens your eyes and mind. Highly recommended.
