Synopses & Reviews
Review
"The fact that the saintly Andrei Sakharov loved Elena Bonner so deeply and defended her against all critics ought to be sufficient grounds for overlooking the woman's often abrasive personality. If it isn't, then this memoir of a frightening childhood at the heart of the Comintern may tip the balance. This book lacks the depths of, say, Raisa Orlova's account of a Soviet childhood, but it provides occasional insights into life in the Hotel Luxe (where the Comintern leaders resided until Stalin was ready to kill them), and Bonner is an excellent writer." Reviewed by Daniel Weiss, Virginia Quarterly Review (Copyright 2006 Virginia Quarterly Review)