To the Horizon and Beyond

About the Book

Six chapters in the book, like six stars in one constellation, contain the names Maria, Emma, Valentina, Gennady, Larissa and John. Maria, a Russian beauty, is a symbol of love, determination and devotion to the family- a stronghold and a real survivor through the Russian turmoil. Emma, Maria's eldest daughter, wounded during the second World War at age 7, carried her grief through her whole life. Valentina, Maria's second daughter, optimistic by nature, made her life roads in her own way. Gennady, Maria's only son, was her favourite and beloved most of all. Larissa, Maria's grandaughter, is described from a parental point of view. John's true story was to be the conclusion of this book but became the beginning of a new chapter of the author's life: it has become another story for another time.

About the Author

Born on March 17, 1940 in Russia, Valentina grew up in an ordinary family and graduated from Orel University in 1962. For the first five years following graduation she taught English and German, then worked for 35 years as an interpreter and translator at the Russian Enterprises and as a free-lance interpreter. She continues her career in Canada.

History and Linguistics were Valentina's passion throughout her life. She is especially inspired by the stories of Queen Bodacia of Roman England, whose times also insprired Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

Valentina's Russian ancestry is part of her cultural and spiritual self, and that's what contributes to the peculiarity of her essay, To the Horizon and Beyond - Mitzvoth, as it is expressed in Yiddish.

Written from her heart, the feelings and sensations in the book reflect what it is to have a Russian soul: spiritual and mysterious.