White Moss
Anna Nerkagi
Apr 2026 · Pushkin Press
Ebook
192
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
A poetic and fiercely moving Russian novel of tradition, change, and thwarted desire by an internationally celebrated writer from the Indigenous Nenets community of northern Siberia
Perfect for readers of Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, the work of Louise Erdrich, and other emotionally powerful, lyrical narratives of global Indigenous communities
Providing rare, direct insight into the beauties and struggles of the Indigenous reindeer-herding Nenets community of the Russian north, White Moss tells a piercingly moving coming-of-age story of the conflict between individual dreams and collective life.
On the eve of his wedding, young Alyoshka pines for an earlier love. Ilne chose to leave the nomadic Nenets community behind 7 years before, moving to the city and taking his heart with her. As the seasons have passed and his mother has grown older, Alyoshka has been under increasing pressure to marry and fully embrace the Nenets’ age-old customs of home and family. Unwilling to give up his hope for another life, the young man struggles against everything he has been taught to accept, while other painful transitions shake the stability of the small camp and minor human tragedies play out against the cold expanse of the tundra.
With bursts of lyricism and a Chekhovian eye for human frailty, Anna Nerkagi crafts a multi-voiced drama of tradition and change within her Indigenous community.
Perfect for readers of Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, the work of Louise Erdrich, and other emotionally powerful, lyrical narratives of global Indigenous communities
Providing rare, direct insight into the beauties and struggles of the Indigenous reindeer-herding Nenets community of the Russian north, White Moss tells a piercingly moving coming-of-age story of the conflict between individual dreams and collective life.
On the eve of his wedding, young Alyoshka pines for an earlier love. Ilne chose to leave the nomadic Nenets community behind 7 years before, moving to the city and taking his heart with her. As the seasons have passed and his mother has grown older, Alyoshka has been under increasing pressure to marry and fully embrace the Nenets’ age-old customs of home and family. Unwilling to give up his hope for another life, the young man struggles against everything he has been taught to accept, while other painful transitions shake the stability of the small camp and minor human tragedies play out against the cold expanse of the tundra.
With bursts of lyricism and a Chekhovian eye for human frailty, Anna Nerkagi crafts a multi-voiced drama of tradition and change within her Indigenous community.
A poetic and fiercely moving Russian novel of tradition, change, and thwarted desire by an internationally celebrated writer from the Indigenous Nenets community of northern Siberia
Perfect for readers of Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, the work of Louise Erdrich, and other emotionally powerful...
About the author
Anna Nerkagi was born in 1953 on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, and she belongs to the Indigenous Nenets community. As a child, she was separated from her parents by the Soviet authorities and sent to a boarding school, where Indigenous languages and cultural traditions were banned. She published her debut novel, Aniko of the Nogo Clan, in 1977, and in 1980 she returned to the Yamal Peninsula and the nomadic way of life. In 1990, she started the Tundra School for Nenets Children, where she still works as a teacher, blending traditional and modern forms of education.
Irina Sadovina is a translator and academic from Yoshkar-Ola, Russia. She is the Co-ordinator of Slavonic Languages and University Teacher of Russian at University of Sheffield's Modern Languages Teaching Centre. Her translation of White Moss won the Australasian Association of Writing Programs Translation Prize.
Irina Sadovina is a translator and academic from Yoshkar-Ola, Russia. She is the Co-ordinator of Slavonic Languages and University Teacher of Russian at University of Sheffield's Modern Languages Teaching Centre. Her translation of White Moss won the Australasian Association of Writing Programs Translation Prize.
Anna Nerkagi was born in 1953 on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia, and she belongs to the Indigenous Nenets community. As a child, she was separated from her parents by the Soviet authorities and sent to a boarding school, where Indigenous languages and cultural traditions were banned. She publishe...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
