"A masterpiece" (The Guardian) from the Nobel Prize-winning writer,
an oral history of children's experiences in World War II across
Russia
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST
For more than three decades, Svetlana Alexievich has been the memory and
conscience of the twentieth century. When the Swedish Academy awarded
her the Nobel Prize, it cited her for inventing "a new kind of literary
genre," describing her work as "a history of emotions . . . a history of
the soul."
Bringing together dozens of voices in her distinctive style, Last
Witnesses is Alexievich's collection of the memories of those who were
children during World War II. They had sometimes been soldiers as well
as witnesses, and their generation grew up with the trauma of the war
deeply embedded--a trauma that would change the course of the Russian
nation.
Collectively, this symphony of children's stories, filled with the
everyday details of life in combat, reveals an altogether unprecedented
view of the war. Alexievich gives voice to those whose memories have
been lost in the official narratives, uncovering a powerful, hidden
history from the personal and private experiences of individuals.
Translated by the renowned Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, Last
Witnesses is a powerful and poignant account of the central conflict of
the twentieth century, a kaleidoscopic portrait of the human side of
war.
Praise for Last Witnesses
"There is a special sort of clear-eyed humility to [Alexievich's]
reporting."--The Guardian
**
"A bracing reminder of the enduring power of the written word to testify
to pain like no other medium. . . . Children survive, they grow up, and
they do not forget. They are the first and last witnesses."--The New
Republic**
"A profound triumph."--The Big Issue
"[Alexievich] excavates and briefly gives prominence to demolished
lives and eradicated communities. . . . It is impossible not to turn the
page, impossible not to wonder whom we next might meet, impossible not
to think differently about children caught in conflict."--The
Washington Post
