Travel to Russia

Beyond Siberia: Two Years in a Forgotten Place

Format: Paperback
Author: Sharon Dirlam
ReleaseDate: April, 2004
Publisher: McSeas Books
Rating:

Adventure in the Russian Far East
I found the structure and writing most engaging! While offering a chronological account of hers and her husband's experiences in Birobidjan, Dirlam includes many fascinating details about the life and culture they encountered. 'Beyond Siberia'', Sharon Dirlam's account of her two-year sojourn as a Peace Corps teacher brings an unfamiliar part of Russia to life. 'Zhag za Zhagem' ['step by step', page 54 and later], we see the philosophical and often humorous responses of their Russian friends to the difficult conditions of their daily lives. Dirlam's experience as a travel writer comes through in her vivid observations and pithy reflections.

This book offers a wonderful and varied cast of characters, succinctly telling anecdotes, valuable insights, and some interesting (and not always obvious) contrasts between Russian ways and those of the US. A particularly telling sequence in this regard is the story of Dirlam's return home midway through her tenure in Birobidjan--on Fourth of July.

When I finished this book, I felt like I'd been given a privileged angle of vision on an intriguing part of the world and its inhabitants, the Russian 'Jewish Autonomous Region' as it was once called. Highly recommended to teachers, Peace Corps volunteers, armchair travellers, and anyone with a curiosity about a little-known part of Russia.
.

Vivid account of living in Russia
Dirlam's manages to convey objective and insightful views of the people she learned to respect and learn from. "Beyond Siberia:Two Years in a Forgotten Place" is a vivid account of an American's experience of living and working in a remote section of Russia. It's an especially useful read for anyone planning to work in the Peace Corps, but for those readers like myself, it is one great learning experience that is lacking in many books about Russia. Highly recommended.

A Disappointment
I gave it 2 stars only because I have read worse books. As I read these other reviews I'm curious if they were reading the same book that I read. That is not to say that the information in the book is not interesting, or heartfelt, but I just feel poorly written. Dirlam repeats herself in many useless issues, such as the numerous times that she metions the reavealing dress of the russian girls. The book is also a bit scattered, it did not flow well. I would recomend against purchasing this book, rather for an excellent book on siberia read Colin Thurbron's "In Siberia" it will delight and amaze you.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Russia travel books.

	The Other Side of Russia: A Slice of Life in Siberia and the Russian Far East
	In Siberia
	The Reindeer People: Living With Animals and Spirits in Siberia
	Open Lands : Travels Through Russia's Once Forbidden Places