“There are things in this world that cannot be explained, that simply cannot be explained,” notes the autobiographical protagonist of Boris Minaev’s stories. And indeed: how can you explain the meaning of the puddles in the yard? The charm of the thawed spring earth with all its unexpected finds? Or how terrifying it is to be home alone or go to the dentist? Or the thrill of splashing passersby from the balcony—who could possibly understand that?
Both young and adult readers of “Lev’s Childhood” will understand perfectly. The author has miraculously preserved his childhood perception of the world in his memory and conveyed it in the finest detail—funny and serious, touching, and evoking a poignant sense of nostalgia. The realities of childhood in the 1960s and early 1970s coexist with timeless ones and will resonate in the heart of anyone who has ever played in the yard until dark despite having wet mittens.
“Lev’s Childhood” has withstood no fewer than several editions, and with this collection of stories, Boris Minaev became a laureate of the “Zavetnaya Mechta” award in 2006.
Evgeniya Dvoskina’s illustrations, full of humor and perfectly attuned to the author’s prose, were prepared especially for this edition and are being published for the first time.
