Standing in the Wind: A Cold War Memoir

Standing in the Wind: A Cold War Memoir describes how in 1975 Ukraine, two ordinary people from different worlds get caught up in the maelstrom of geopolitical forces beyond their control and find their lives upended by danger, risk, and love. It traces my story, starting when, as an American graduate student, I travel to the Soviet Union with a group of 22 young Russian-speaking Americans on two US Information Agency cultural exhibits in 1975-76 at the height of the Cold War. In Ukraine, I meet a young student named Victor, and the rest of the narrative follows the consequences of our meeting, including an escape attempt, separation, and reunion. It also gives a glimpse at how this important foreign policy initiative affected the American guides and the people whose lives they touched.When I started writing this memoir, there was peace in most of Ukraine, but a little over 2 1/2 years ago, the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion made our story unexpectedly relevant. Standing in the Wind: A Cold War Memoir would be a welcome addition to readers’ bookshelves focused on travel, the Soviet Union, Russian and Ukrainian cultures and languages, the Cold War, Orthodox Christianity, and refugees/immigrants.The topical nature of our story, which begins in Zaporizhzhia (the home of the captive nuclear plant in the news), gives the memoir a broad appeal to American readers who see Ukraine every day on television and social media and want to know more. Read more