Spanning the twentieth century, this family saga begins in Georgia in the early 1900s with a chocolate maker's recipe, a hot drink said to be so delicious it carries a curse, that passes down generations of the Jashi family. Stasia is the first woman we follow, in Tsarist Russia, and her children and grandchildren live through revolution, Stalin's purges, war, the Soviet collapse and the civil conflicts of the 1990s. The story is narrated by Niza, a descendant, to a younger relative who has gone abroad.
Readers who enjoy long multigenerational novels like those of Isabel Allende or Vikram Seth will find a thorough portrait of Georgia under the Soviet Union. It rewards patience with a large cast and a sense of history felt in the household.
Thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2014
- Language
- EN
