The books title was from gorokhovas grandmother, who told her young children not to complain about lack of food and crumbled their black bread and sugar cubes into a whole mountain. A mountain of crumbs book king county library system. A mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a young soviet girl s discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her countrys profound political deception. A mountain of crumbs by elena gorokhova penguin books australia. Jan, 2010 the title of elena gorokhovas new memoir, a mountain of crumbs, about growing up in the soviet union in the 1960s and 70s, comes from a game her grandmother invented to hide that she. A mountain of crumbs book also available for read online, mobi, docx and mobile and kindle reading. The 20 episodes in a mountain of crumbs are extraordinarily rich in sensory and emotional detail and offer an engrossing portrait of a very lively, intelligent girl coming of emotional and intellectual age in the poststalinist soviet union. Author interview elena gorokhova, author of a mountain of. But for her, he was the first, unforgettable window into the forbidden freedom beyond the confines of her soviet bubble. Gorokhovas precise language and her word photos are impressive. Elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. Beginning with gorokhovas mothers brutal experiences after the russian revolution and in world war ii as a doctor, the narrative follows gorokhova through. Critically acclaimed author elena gorokhova discusses a. A mountain of crumbs is a memoir by russianborn author elena gorokhova that details her life growing up in the ussr and her eventual relocation to the united states.
The book is a memoir of the authors early life in saint petersburg then leningrad before she moved to the us in the 1970s. A mountain of crumbs quotes showing 16 of 6 the rules are simple. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Viv groskop, the daily telegraph uk brims with an elegiac emotion and sensuality which even turgenev, in his own european exile, might have envied. A mountain of crumbs book by elena gorokhova official. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her elena gorokhova grows up in 1960s leningrad where she discovers that beauty and passion can be found in. Elena became infatuated with the english language, and mastering it became her academic major. Elena s country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the english language but in the soviet union of the 1960s, such a passion verges on the subversive. Gorokhova, the author of a mountain of crumbs, a memoir of growing up in soviet russia, recreates, in this engaging new work, her first experience of america in 1980 as a 20something teacher.
Spend your free time to add your knowledge about your science competence. Yet, nowhere in the book is the genesis of this relationship with english explained. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. There is a change in tone between the chapters set in the country, and those set in the city. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the english language but in the soviet union of the 1960s, such a passion verges. I had been writing snippets of stories to see if they would congeal into something unified by bigger themes. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her elena gorokhova grows up in 1960s leningrad where she discovers that beauty and passion can be found in unexpected places in soviet russia. Elena gorokhova grows up in 1960s leningrad where she.
Elena gorokhova, a mountain of crumbs and he wants to see those courtyard wells that depress the spirit and twist the soul into a truly russian miserable knot. Some brief overview of this book elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. A mountain of crumbs tells the story of everything that happened leading up to that moment of escape. Study guide one book, one community mountain of crumbs. Each chapter distills a new revelation in poetic prose. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
A mountain of crumbs ebook by elena gorokhova 97814395587. Did mountain of crumbs confirm or refute these notions. A book is a range of written, printed, illustrated or perhaps blank sheet. A mountain of crumbs has, however, two flaws that cause me to knock off a star. Gorokhova writes about her life with a novelists gift for threading motives around the heart of a story. Feb 08, 2011 elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. Elena s country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a nation struggling to retain its power and its pride. A mountain of crumbs, by elena gorokhova the new york. Elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by elenas country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a nation struggling to retain its power and its pride. Author interview elena gorokhova, author of a mountain. A mountain of crumbs by elena gorokhova penguin books. A mountain of crumbs npr coverage of a mountain of crumbs.
A mountain of crumbs is a book by elena gorokhova linguist first published in 2010. Did the book enrich your understanding about life in this time and place. Jan 12, 2010 a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a young soviet girls discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her countrys profound political deception. Elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by elenas country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a. Russian tattoo took only about three or four years, and i think it was the death of my mother in 2012 that gave the book. With such came a desire to at least visit, if not immigrate to, the west. Aug 06, 2010 a mountain of crumbs tells the story of everything that happened leading up to that moment of escape. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the english language but in the soviet union of the 1960s, such a.
Russian tattoo took only about three or four years, and i think it was the death of my mother in 2012 that gave the book its ending. Reading group guide for a mountain of crumbs elena gorokhova. What were some of your preconceived ideas of the ussr. A mountain of crumbs is a straightforward account of russia in the postwar decades, one that takes the reader confidently through the slow sinking of the soviet ship. Elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives. A mountain of crumbs elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. The books title comes from gorokhovas maternal grandmother, the. Elena gorokhovas writing gorgeous and evocative is enriched by her connection to two languages, russian and english. Beginning with gorokhovas mothers brutal experiences after the russian revolution and in world war. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
A memoir by elena gorokhova in djvu, epub, txt download ebook. Elena gorokhova elena gorokhova grows up in 1960s leningrad where she discovers that beauty and passion can. The title of this book is a mountain of crumbs and it was written by elena gorokhova. A mountain of crumbs tells the story of everything that happened leading. A mountain of crumbs required a long time to take shape and find its voice. Elenas country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a. A mountain of crumbs by elena gorokhova filled with an interweaving of a familys hidden truth and societys outright lies, this memoir captures a girls 1960s childhood experiences in a nation struggling to control its people and its future. Elena gorokhova elena gorokhova grows up in 1960s leningrad where she discovers that beauty and passion can be found in unexpected places in soviet russia.
Elena gorokhovas mountain of crumbs describes life in the. Pdf download a mountain of crumbs free unquote books. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. Elena gorokhova official site for the author of russian.
Pdf a mountain of crumbs download full pdf book download. Elena gorokhova s a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. A mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a young soviet girls discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her countrys profound. Elena gorokhovas mountain of crumbs describes life in. Feb 08, 2011 a mountain of crumbs has, however, two flaws that cause me to knock off a star. A memoir and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Coetzee, winner of the 2003 nobel prize in literature the russian equivalent of angelas ashes. It is a bittersweet tale of life in the former soviet union, rich with honesty and insight. My mother and sima, older and wiser, would exchange a secret look of pity for their baby brother, who allowed himself to be so easily fooled. Summary elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a soviet girl who discovers the truths adults are hiding from her and the lies her homeland lives by. Some people has different feel when they reading a new book. A mountain of crumbs is the moving story of a young soviet girls discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her countrys profound political deception elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the english language but in the soviet union of the 1960s, such a passion verges on the subversive.
Feb 07, 2010 a mountain of crumbs which takes its title from a game gorokhovas grandmother invented during a famine in the 1920s could be taught as a master class in memoir writing. Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world. The book is a memoir of the authors early life in saint petersburg then. Elena gorokhova traces the authors childhood in the soviet union, describing such formative influences as her fathers work as a ranking member of the communist party, her uncles arrest for telling a joke to a. Kapka kassabova is charmed by a memoir of life in soviet russia. Elenas country is no longer the majestic russia of literature or the tsars, but a nation struggling to retain its power and its pride. Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the english language but in the soviet union of the 1960s, such a passion. Elena gorokhova has travelled a long way since she left russia for america in 1980 as a disillusioned young woman. Elena gorokhovas a mountain of crumbs offers a view of the lockedin nature of daily life in 1960s leningrad, beginning even in nursery school.