Elizabeth Tsurkov

This landmark account of Soviet life during Stalin's dictatorship delves into what everyday life was like for Russians in the worst years of Soviet repression. The author uncovers a huge collection of newly discovered documents to reveal the inner world of ordinary Soviet citizens, from cramped communal apartments to the Communist faithful. The Whisperers offers a gripping account of lives lived in impossible times, where both trust and betrayal were rampant, and anyone could become a collaborator in a repressive system.

Forzados por la sequía y el acoso de los bancos, los Joad, una familia de granjeros de la Oklahoma rural y empobrecida de los años treinta, emprenden un atribulado éxodo a lo largo de la carretera 66 con la intención de buscar trabajo y una vida digna en California. Si atrás dejan campos asolados por las tormentas de polvo, en el camino sólo encuentran penuria, hambre, hostilidad en los pueblos por los que pasan... Pero ni las advertencias de quienes regresan, pobres y desengañados, ni la muerte y la progresiva desintegración de la familia, bastan para que cejen en su empeño. Y, en su afán de supervivencia, conservan la entereza y la dignidad frente a la miseria moral de quienes se aprovechan de la miseria real. Posiblemente haya que huir del infierno para descubrir que no existe la tierra prometida.

A crucial read for understanding the Kurdish people and their fight for independence. Author Aliza Marcus delves into the PKK, a guerilla force founded by Turkish university students, which sparked the Kurdish national movement in Turkey. The PKK is responsible for nearly 40,000 deaths in Turkey and has turned to violence once again. Through reportage and scholarship, Marcus provides a comprehensive account of the group and its impact on the region.