My Life in Stalinist Russia: An American Woman Looks Back

by Mary M. Leder, Robert Weinberg (Introduction), Laurie Bernstein (Editor)

"The thoughtful memoirs of a disillusioned daughter of the Russian Revolution. . . . A sometimes astonishing, worm's-eye view of life under totalitarianism, and a valuable contribution to Soviet and Jewish studies." ―Kirkus Reviews

"In this engrossing memoir, Leder recounts the 34 years she lived in the U.S.S.R. . . . [She] has a marvelous memory for the details of everyday life. . . . This plainly written account will particularly appeal to readers with a general interest in women's memoirs, Russian culture and history, and leftist politics." ―Publishers Weekly

In 1931, Mary M. Leder, an American teenager, was attending high school in Santa Monica, California. By year's end, she was living in a Moscow commune and working in a factory, thousands of miles from her family, with whom she had emigrated to Birobidzhan, the area designated by the USSR as a Jewish socialist homeland. Although her parents soon returned to America, Mary, who was not permitted to leave, would spend the next 34 years in the Soviet Union. My Life in Stalinist Russia chronicles Leder's experiences from the extraordinary perspective of both an insider and an outsider. Readers will be drawn into the life of this independent-minded young woman, coming of age in a society that she believed was on the verge of achieving justice for all but which ultimately led her to disappointment and disillusionment. Leder's absorbing memoir presents a microcosm of Soviet history and an extraordinary window into everyday life and culture in the Stalin era.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Russia, Autobiography, Soviet Union, Memoir

360 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2001

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fascinated by this memoir about life in the Soviet Union. To think that this young American woman, at the age of 16, left her family and started life all alone in a Moscow commune, shows bravery and guts few would possess. Her enthusiasm for the promise of Communism led her through many years of hardship before the realities of life under Stalin's regime set in. This was a very absorbing book - I highly recommend it.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and memorable. Cautionary tale for Trump supporters today.

[Sophia s · Rating 5 out of 5]

for a class & a paper but ti was so good!!!

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read! Such a unique story, absolutely loved it

[w&m chi omega · Rating 4 out of 5]

from Sophia: a must read for anyone looking into a career in IR or anyone interested in modern history!!