Customer Reviews

Beyond Siberia: Two Years in a Forgotten Place

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

BEYOND SIBERIA is a very readable book about life in one of the least well known parts of Russia--Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Region in Russia's Far East. Dirlam and her husband worked for two years as Peace Corps volunteers in that remote region, from 1996 to 1998. Written from the notes that the author kept in her journal during that time, this book chronicles her life, work, and travels in an area of Russia seldom visited by people from the West.

Many of the stories focus on her experiences as a teacher at the Birobidzhan Pedagogical Institute--including classroom conditions, friendships (and conflicts) with her Russian students and Russian colleagues, and interactions with other Peace Corps volunteers. Dirlam provides numerous insightful observations about human relationships in the workplace, as well as among her own personal friends and acquaintances in the Russian Far East. I especially appreciated her honesty in describing both the joys and sorrows, the successes and failures, of working under often difficult conditions in a part of the world that she calls "a forgotten place."

A professional writer before going to Russia, Dirlam does a good job of describing the difficulties of daily life in eastern Russia. I liked her no-nonsense approach to the challenges that she and her husband encountered every day--from shopping and cooking to doing the laundry and buying a train ticket. And I'm sure that readers will enjoy her stories about the Russians whom she befriended during her two years in Birobidzhan. Having lived in the Russian Far East myself, I can attest to the authenticity of her observations and the accuracy of the many situations that she writes about.

BEYOND SIBERIA is a book that will be of particular interest to the hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers who have served in Russia themselves. I also recommend it to anyone with an interest in Russia--and to armchair travellers who would like to learn more about life in this remote "forgotten place." A very good read!

Having been a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Russian Far East from 2000-2002, I was interested to read this account of a Peace Corps volunteer's experience in Birobidjan--a place I'd visited numerous times. Sharon Dirlam brought this place to life. She describes the Russian people and the other Peace Corps Volunteers in such detail that it feels like I've met them. The descriptions of the places involved were accurate and memorable. I read this volume more slowly than I would normally read a book simply because I wanted to enjoy the details of her life as a volunteer. I think that this book is excellent for people who were volunteers or for readers who love travel and adventure.

Sharon Dirlam, writing about her Peace Corps years in Siberian Russia, creates a world that you are sorry to leave at the end of the book. That is not to say she paints an idyllic picture of her experience. She writes not only with warmth and humor but with an exceptional honesty, which makes this book doubly engaging because you appreciate its authenticity. A truly fascinating and rewarding read!

'Beyond Siberia'', Sharon Dirlam's account of her two-year sojourn as a Peace Corps teacher brings an unfamiliar part of Russia to life. 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. '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.

"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. Dirlam's manages to convey objective and insightful views of the people she learned to respect and learn from. 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.

I could feel the Artic chill outside. Inside the room there was the warmth of friends, food, vodka and conversation. Sometimes an old grude is renewed. Always there is spontaneous outburst of group song... old Russian songs, the Beatles, the Beach Boys. "Beyond Siberia" describes life as it is with the struggles and joys, the hardships, the patience and endurance. It's about loyalty and the values of friendships living in this harsh climate region of high unemployment. The harsh realities shape the human body and psyche. It shapes their sense of community.

Sharon Dirlam observes. She observes the world around her with curiosity, intelligence, and a sense of quiet wonder. She is insightful, personal, and objective. It reflects her adventurous spirit, political and social awareness and her desire to bridge cultures through teaching english. It reflects her compassionate nature and sense of humor. This book is Sharon Dirlam's personal journal of 2 years of day-to-day living in this Siberian community with her husband, John, who also taught English. It is a MUST for anyone considering joining the Peace Corps or teaching English as a second language.

This is an outstanding book! It would be especially valuable for anyone with an interest in Russia in general, or the Jewish Autonomous Region in particular. That region has been called "Russia's Forgotten Zion." Mara Vishniac Kohn, author of "Children of a Vanished World," has this to say:
"This book is a wonderful experience for the reader. In the far, frozen North of the world we meet two Peace Corps trainers trying to teach young Russians how to teach English. We learn about daily lives, relationships and customs in Birobidjan with its fascinating history. For a great trip, go 'Beyond Siberia.' "

As I read these other reviews I'm curious if they were reading the same book that I read. I gave it 2 stars only because I have read worse books. 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.

I didn't that's for sure. Intrigued, I ordered this book from Amazon.

Sharon Dirlam's report of the two years she and her husband, John McCafferty, spent in Russia's far east is interesting and informative. The time is during the 1990s, so it may be a bit outdated. The personal ways of the Russians I'm sure are not. The book is very much like a long letter assembled from a daily diary. Ms Dirlam is extremely observant, generous and fair. It is a good sample of writing by a Peace Corps volunteer.

The book is a self published low budget production, lacking in photographs except for those on the cover. The binding is poor and my copy began to disintegrate by the time I got to page 20.

I don't think it is appropriate for spouses of authors to write 5 star reviews of their wives books though. It indicates a lack of objectivity and smells of desperation.

The book is worth reading for content and perspective, but most assuredly is not a 5 star production.