The Russländer
 Sandra Birdsell
 (Associate Reviewer - Donald D'Haene)
 2002 Britnell Book Wholesalers
 ISBN: 0771014511
 

A rich tapestry of lives, relationships, & politics set in early 20th century, within a Mennonite community in Russia.

Associate Reviewer Donald D'Haene writes:

“She would always remember the awe, the swelling in her breastbone when she'd first seen her name written...Which meant: Me, I. Which was: her. A high-minded child, body small for her age, and so alive...going to and fro with a huff and a puff, as though the day was all she had, and at the same time, thinking the day would go on for good. As though she were living in eternity.” Pg 5.

& so begins The Russländer, a tale full of lucid, spellbinding prose & a vivid cast of unforgettable characters, revealing how an old woman, now living in Canada, recalls her dark past that began in Russia on a wealthy Mennonite estate in the wake of the First World War. How tensions within her community lead to an unspeakable act of violence & how she came to terms with this terrible event that befell her & her family.

Readers will revel in how Sandra Birdsell evokes a time & place that they rarely, if ever have even heard about: how a Mennonite community was devastated by the Russian Revolution.

Sandra Birdsell herself was born & raised in Manitoba, the 5th of 10 children & her family's origins trace back to Russia. Says Birdsell, “Twenty years ago, my great-uncle self-published his memoirs. In reading it, I realized what kind of a life my grandparents had before they came to Canada. I tried to write a short story -- I wasn't wise or old enough. It's a book I had to grow into.”

Sandra Birdsell began writing in 1982 at the age of 40. The Russländer, her third novel, is a realistic, balanced portrayal of a group of people, written from the point of view of a religious sect, their beliefs & disbeliefs. It's not a Christian book, although the people are devout Christians.

This novel was written for a secular audience, but to state that The Russländer requires concentrated focus is an understatement. Fortunately, the effort will be rewarded. Sandra Birdsell writes with an uncanny knack for observation & detail.

In 2001, The Russländer won the Saskatchewan Book Award for Fiction, the Saskatchewan Book Award for Book of the Year, the Regina Book Award, & was a finalist for the Giller Prize.

A profound read.

Sandra Birdsell's first novel, The Missing Child (1989), won the W.H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award. Her second novel, The Chrome Suite (1992), & her most recent collection of short fiction, The Two-Headed Calf (1997), were both shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Fiction. Her two previous short story collections, Night Travellers & Ladies of the House, were reissued in 1987 as Agassiz Stories.
(07/20/03)

Donald
2003©Donald D'Haene
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
My most important work to date is my memoir, Father's Touch [Author web site: www.fatherstouch.com] Do check out Rebecca's Interview with me.

I have been freelance writing since 1988. My short stories can be found in The Good Life (2000) & Memories of Elgin and Middlesex(2000). I am also an actor with Armstrong Talent in Toronto, Canada.

A short film is being produced [Phat Puppy Productions] based on the first chapter of Father's Touch. It will submitted to film festivals around the world. As well, this fall, Canada's W Network will air a half hour segment of their series, Family Secrets, based on the author's life & story.

I live in London, Ontario, with my partner, Maurice, my mother, & our three Siamese cats, Kyle, Bach-Pierre, Maxine & a cockatiel, Jay.