Elena Gorokhova - A Mountain of Crumbs

I am thankful to my fellow writers Pearl Solomon, Patricia Hackbarth, and Ruth Hamel, whose suggestions have improved many chapters; to Nadia Carey, an old friend from Leningrad, for setting some facts straight; and to Eleanor Oakley for her enormous heart.

My appreciation goes to Donna Perreault of The Southern Review, Stephanie G’Schwind of Colorado Review, Robert Stewart of New Letters, and Lou Ann Walker of the Southampton Review for publishing chapters from the memoir; and to Juris Jurjevics of Soho Press for his generous support. My gratitude to the late Staige D. Blackford of The Virginia Quarterly Review for his kind words dating back to the twentieth century, the first encouragement I received from an editor.

Spasibo to Irina Veletskaya, Anna Graham, Luba Borisova, and Olga Kapitskaya for their friendship, the Russian kind.

I thank my sister Marina for her soul filled with talent and my mother for her head filled with memories. Also, I am indebted to my remaining family in Russia, although they would have probably told a different story of our past.

And finally, this book would not be possible without the two closest people: Laurenka, who may have been touched by Russia more than she knows, and Andy, my most ardent advocate, exacting reader, and unwavering supporter since my first years in this country, when the English language was still a mystery. To you, my love.

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Copyright © 2009 by Elena Gorokhova

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First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition January 2010

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gorokhova, Elena.

A mountain of crumbs / Elena Gorokhova.

p. cm.

1. Gorokhova, Elena—Childhood and youth. 2. Gorokhova, Elena—Family. 3. Saint Petersburg (Russia)—Biography. 4. Girls—Russia (Federation)—Saint Petersburg—Biography. 5. Saint Petersburg (Russia)—Social life and customs—20th century. 6. Saint Petersburg (Russia)—History—20th century. 7. Soviet Union—History—1953–1985—Biography. I. Title.

DK543.G67A3 2009

947’.21085092—dc22 [B] 2009000474

ISBN 978-1-4391-2567-0

ISBN 978-1-4391-3558-7 (ebook)