| A Countess in Limbo: Diaries in War & Revolution Russia 1914-1920 France 1939-1947 Contributor(s): Hendrikoff, Olga (Author) |
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ISBN: 1480835374 ISBN-13: 9781480835375 Publisher: Archway Publishing OUR PRICE: $27.54 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2016 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Russia & The Former Soviet Union - History | Europe - France - Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs |
| Dewey: 947.083 |
| Physical Information: 0.93" H x 6" W x 9" (1.35 lbs) 420 pages |
| Themes: - Sex & Gender - Feminine - Cultural Region - French - Cultural Region - Russia |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: "The diaries reveal details of a remarkable life of a woman born in Imperial Russia who refused to complain about the luxurious life she left behind." "It's a miraculous tale that takes the readers through revolutions and world wars and chronicles Hendrikoff's transformation from a wealthy privileged lady in-waiting for the Russian empresses to desperate survivor scavenging for coal in a Nazi-occupied France." --Calgary Herald Countess Olga "Lala" Hendrikoff was born into the Russian aristocracy, serving as lady-in-waiting to the empresses and enjoying a life of great privilege. But on the eve of her wedding in 1914 came the first rumors of an impending war--a war that would change her life forever and force her to flee her country as a stateless person with no country to call home. In A Countess in Limbo, Countess Hendrikoff tells her remarkable true story that includes the loss of her brother in the Russian gulag, her sister-in-law murdered with the Russian Imperial family, and herself being robbed at gunpoint and accused of being a spy by the Nazis. She also speaks of the daily life that continues during wartime: ration cards and food restrictions, the black market, and the struggle just to get by another day. Her gripping story and thoughtful analysis provide a valuable look at life and humanity in the face of war. Spanning two of the most turbulent times in modern history--World War I in Russia and World War II in Paris--Countess Hendrikoff's journals demonstrate the uncertainty, horror, and hope of daily life in the midst of turmoil. Her razor-sharp insight, wit, and sense of humor create a fascinating eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution and the occupation and liberation of Paris. |
Contributor Bio(s): Hendrikoff, Olga: - Olga Hendrikoff was born in 1892 in Voronezh, Russia, and attended the famous Smolny Institute. In 1914, she married Count Peter Hendrikoff just as World War I began. In the ensuing years, Hendrikoff lived in Constantinople, Rome, Paris, and Philadelphia. She spent her last twenty years in Calgary. She died in 1987. |