Memories and The Second Book (set of 2 books)

"Memories" by Nadezhda Mandelstam presents a broad panorama of the literary and social life of the Soviet era, especially during Stalin's time. The main character of this panorama is Osip Mandelstam. The narrative of the poet's widow recounts his work, friendship with Akhmatova, searches, two exiles, and his death in one of the Far Eastern camps. "The Second Book," which covers the literary and social life of the 1910s to the 1960s, is even more sharp, biased, and cruel than "Memories" — it is not just a recreation of Osip Mandelstam's biography and the preservation of his memory — it is a verdict rendered by the poet's widow to an entire country and era.