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The Little Russians: An Ailing Father's Letters To His Children
By William Jack
Paperback: 479 pages
Publisher: Lulu.com (September 2010)
ISBN: 978-0-557-44579-0
A work of wit, intelligence, and heart; A successful May-December couple adopt 3 tiny siblings from a Russian orphanage and embark upon an odyssey of hope, misstep and disaster American-style, culminating in a broken marriage, a sick and destitute father, and the one gift he has left to bequeath to his beloved children. Held together with sly humor, insight and brutal honesty, the Old Man's letters to his kids are not mere stories, but works of art. A book to be read over and over again, and passed on to your OWN kids. Three young Russian orphans are now three happy American children. BUT, they have blocked from memory their native language and memories of the first years of their lives. Some times in their lives, they will need to come to terms with their origins. Their father no doubt will be dead when the kids begin sorting out themselves. In this book he writes about their years in Russian, to encourage them to dig out from their minds their first years, he tells them of his life-long connection with things Russian. Who can become "integrated" adults when they have erased their first years? (The oldest child lived 4 1/2 years in Russia.) Psychologists say that these are the most important years of our lives - Children's personalities are determined, and language shapes the way they look at the world.
About The AuthorWilliam Jack has worked as a college professor of Russian, a law school professor, an attorney, and a law librarian. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD in Russian studies. He also has a JD and an MLIS (Master of Library and Information Systems). He is presently broke, sick, bankrupt, and living in a mobile home. He started out poor, the second of ten children living in public housing. After many turns in his life, he is back where he started. He believes that whoever made the world has a wicked sense of humor; he believes that he looks at life the same way.
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