The Russlander

This is the story of Katherine "Katya" Vogt, a young Mennonite girl growing up in pre-Revolutionary Ukraine. The Mennonites, a German-speaking minority that was invited into Russia during the reign of Tsarina Catherine the Great, have prospered in their new land, but their language, their religion and their entire culture separates them from the people they live amongst. And when Russia collapses in the wake of the First World War, their very prosperity and "otherness" makes them a target, and they quickly find their fragile communities blown apart. This is a very good book. The author, a daughter of a Russian Mennonite émigré to Canada does an excellent job of portraying the life of the Mennonite communities, what they thought and did, and what happened to them during the Revolutionary years. My own Russian Mennonite ancestors had been among the lucky ones who had emigrated to Canada during the 1870s, and the fate of those that stayed behind was always of interest to us. When I read Ingrid Rimland's book, The Wanderers, I was struck by how little the faith of the Russian Mennonites of the early twentieth century affected their lives. Well, this book serves to reinforce that view. If you are looking for a book of faith in the face of adversity, then you will be disappointed with this book. But, if you are looking for a moving story of a young woman's life and ordeal in Revolutionary Russia, then this is the book for you. I think it is a very interesting and well-written book, one that is sure to move you.

I just finished, reluctantly, the novel "Katya" by Sandra Birdsell. "Reluctantly," because this is one of the very best written and most fascinating books I've read in a long time, and I wanted the experience to last as long as possible. Actually, this is one of the best books I've ever read. I am easily drawn to books about Russian history (the subtitle of "Katya" is "A Novel of the Russian Revolution"). On beginning this one, I was intrigued and surprised because rather than being invited in its pages into the worlds of native Russians or Ukrainians, I found myself stepping across the threshholds of German Mennonites living in Ukraine at the beginning of the last century: this is a world previously completely unknown to me. Ms. Birdsell's narrative style in "Katya" is marvelous, and I say this as someone who does not as a rule like stories told from the perspective of children, because most often they are clearly endowed with adult qualities. In this novel, however, the young Katya's point of view is always completely believable. Her thoughts, her feelings, and her observations all ring true. And that we are at the aged Katya's side, just as the young man with the tape recorder interviewing her is, while she remembers her early years from her room in the assisted living facility is a sweetly touching and successful convention. Another apsect of the book that I loved was becoming familiar with, down to the most seemingly mundane but actually fascinating detail, the daily lives of rural Mennonite families. And recipes imparted to us by young Katya throughout the book: marvelous. From the moment I began reading this wonderful book, suddenly it was early 19th-century Ukraine, and I was getting to know and love a girl named Katya. What a treasure to be transported so.

Author Sandra Birdsell's tale reveals how an old woman now living in Canada recalls her dark past. Readers will revel in how Birdsell evokes a time and place that they rarely, if ever have even heard about: how a Mennonite community was devasted by the Russian Revolution.Birdsell herself was born and raised in Manitoba, the 5th of 10 children and her family's origins trace back to Russia. Says Birdsell, "Twenty years ago, my great-uncle self-published his memoirs. In reading it, I realized what kind of a life my grandparents had before they came to Canada. I tried to write a short story - I wasn't wise or old enough. It's a book I had to grow into."Birdsell began writing in '82 at the age of 40. The Russländer, her third novel, is a realistic, balanced portrayal of a group of people, written from the point of view of a religious sect, their beliefs and disbeliefs. It's not a Christian book, but the people are devout Christians. This novel was written for a secular audience, but to state that The Russländer requires concentrated focus is an understatement. Fortunately, the effort will be rewarded. Birdsell writes with an uncanny knack for observation and detail.In 2001, The Russländer won the Saskatchewan Book Award for Fiction, the Saskatchewan Book Award for Book of the Year, the Regina Book Award, and was a finalist for the Giller Prize.In 2003, it deserves a second look.