Back on the Map: Adventures in Newly-Independent Estonia by Marc Hyman

by Marc Hyman

The year is 1992. The smallest of the former Soviet republics has recently regained its freedom following a half-century of repressive occupation. Estonia is back on the map. So what happens now? This evocative memoir vividly captures the frantic yet optimistic spirit of an extraordinary moment in time, providing a detailed and moving account of daily life in a country undergoing dramatic change just a year after the collapse of the Soviet empire. In these pages you'll become immersed in this tumultuous period and come to know a remarkable succession of real people--Estonians and Russians, students and teachers, capitalists and Communists--as they struggle to rebuild their lives and make ends meet in a collapsing economy while working to reinvent their battered nation. The author, recruited to teach at the first private business school to be established in the former Soviet Union, candidly recounts experiences that are by turns grim, hilarious, and poignant.

Mass Market Paperback

First published September 29, 2009

About the author

Marc Hyman lived in Estonia through most of the eventful 1990s. He taught accounting and finance at the Estonian Business School and at Concordia International University Estonia (now Tallinn University of Technology), served as Tallinn Bureau Chief for The Baltic Observer (now The Baltic Times) and as Managing Editor of The Baltic Business Leader, and worked as a consultant for Hansabank, North Estonian Bank, and Virumaa Commerce Bank.

Marc's accounts of day-to-day life in the newly independent Baltic States and Russia have been published in AjaKaja, Crosscurrents, Yours Truly, and Europe Today. He lives in Seattle.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for Christmas...because everyone knows about my recent obsession with Estonia. To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I thought it would be one of those books I felt like I "should" read to become better informed. However, I really liked it from the very beginning. I think it is very well written. It gives a feel of what life was like early on in Estonia's independence. I appreciated how, in the postscript, the author talks about the changes in Estonia since his visit. Although I don't know how helpful this has been in terms of preparing for my (hopeful) visit to Estonia (I did not read it for that reason, though), I found it very interesting and entertaining. I think "Back On The Map" gives a good idea of the general spirit of the Estonian people. This book adresses a limited audience of people interested in Estonia, post-Soviet life, and travel. I think interest in Estonia is growing, but I'm not sure I could recommend this book to spark someone's interest who does not already know much about the country.

[Thomas Luckadoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only is this an interesting book, it is an important one. I’ve found very little written in English about the fascinating period of transition from Communism to a free market economy that Estonia experienced in the early 1990’s after breaking free from the Soviet Union. I’m sure there are academic tomes, but this on the ground, first-person account adds rare and important perspective. The book is well-written and engaging and an enjoyable read.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this book so I can't offer an objective review, but I do believe it would be of interest to fans of armchair travel books and anybody interested in the collapse of the Soviet Union and/or contemporary Eastern European issues.

[C.A. Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a travel memoir, so the plot isn't exactly stimulating, but his description of Estonia is great and that's what I was after. It also made me nostalgic for my own period of living abroad, even though it was in England and not Estonia. Some similarities still existed.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting glimpse into one man's experience living and working in newly liberated Tallinn, Estonia in 1992.

[Margit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huvitav ameeriklase memuaar aastast 1992, kui ta õpetas inglise keelt Eesti Ärikoolis. See haaras mind jäägitult, kuna nii huvitav oli osa saada sellest perioodist ameeriklase pilgu läbi. Ma mõtlesin ka, et kui kõik raamatu tegelased seda loeksid, siis nii mõnelgi võiks natuke häbi olla. Naljakas oli lugeda meenutusi pidudest Eeslitallis jms.

[Kivitaim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the year is 1992 - and Marc Hyman relates his adventures at a time when many English speakers didn't know that Estonia existed. His story captures the historical saga of a country dragging out of the Soviet quagmire, with vividness easily recognizable to those who were in Estonia at the time.

Several other non-Estonian authors have since followed in Hyman's footsteps, but none have been able to portray an account of this fascinating and unique time.

[Mary Germain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this as prep for a return trip to Estonia.