Memoirs of a Russian Lady: Drawings and Tales of Life Before the Revolution

The work's subtitle describes it well. Dax, the editor, has prepared for publication the manuscripts of a distant relative, Davydoff. This Russian aristocratic lady spent her life up to the Revolution in the Ukraine on the large estates of the gentry. Privately educated and trained in watercoloring, she wrote and painted for her heirs from memory after fleeing the Revolution. As published, the stories and drawings are wonderfully matched, sharing a simplicity and wistfulness for a lost society, while vividly portraying a sense of life and leisure. The watercolors combine detail with whimsy. A lovely addition to subject collections and for those interested in the cultural and social life of the era. Rena Fowler, Northern Michigan Univ. Lib., Marquette (Library Journal, 1986)

1st edition; dust jacket has only minor scuffs; blue cloth with gilt lettering on spine; binding tight; text clean and bright. VG/VG