Elena’s Reviews > Soul to Soul: A Black Russian American Family 1865-1992 > Status Update

After a reading hiatus, I return to shower Khanga in even more praise. Her perspective is unbiased, her writing uncluttered, and each chapter is seamless. I particularly enjoyed the chapter where she discusses her discovery of her black identity and humorously comments on American society.

Solid observations on the economic state of the SU post-glasnost and the female plight. Khanga’s description of Georgian cuisine makes me feel some type of way...

This is easily in the top 5 best books I’ve ever read. I also commented something insignificant on Khanga’s Instagram post and she liked my comment >:) if anyone has tips on how to deal with the fame please lmk

Everyone’s troubles are relative, and it’s amazing how Khanga doesn’t rub in that her situation was both worse and better than that of her American counterparts. Quality journalism <3

Today’s read emphasized just how burdensome life under Soviet rule was for the educated citizen (especially one that was secretly Jewish) which I sometimes gloss over from my grandparents’ stories of how wonderful and simple their lives were as poor-er citizens. Also, Khanga has an acute sense of social consciousness that makes generalizations on Russian society that I’ve never quite recognized.

I’ve learned more about race in Russia in 120 pages than I have through seven summers in Belarus. This goodreads update hardly scratches the surface of how GOOD (not to mention informative) this book is.

This chapter finished off by a Langston Hughes poem that is absolutely beautiful. I sat and stared at my desk for a bit after reading it, it fit so so perfectly into Khanga’s incredible family story.