(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
You claim that your family is dysfunctional. You may blame them for your current emotional state or even hate them. However, you can’t help but empathize with this author after reading Stories of a Life by Russian cinematographer Nataliya Meshchaninova. Originally written as a series of Facebook posts that went viral and became a cult hit, this memoir/novel is now available in print and translated into English.
Her father left when she was five years old, and when she did see him, their time together was just superficial. “My father isn’t just a pig, he’s the ringleader of all the pigs in the world.”
Her mother exceled at divulging secrets and used that to manipulate, retaliate or even hurt those close to her. That is how Nataliya discovered that she was the product of an affair with a married man, and her “father” was not her biological father. Even though her mother had little regard for her children’s needs, as a child Nataliya always desperately sought her approval. As an adult, this love turned to hate. She tries to reconcile these feelings in her writing, though they’re contradictory.
Her oldest sister wasn’t her biological sister either. I don’t want to reveal the story behind it; let’s just say that she keeps referring to her as the “gypsy bitch”. In fact, she claims that her mother sought a hitman to be rid of this woman, since they were easy to find after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Yes, there is a lot of dark humor here, but also tragedy. She had four stepfathers and was sexually abused by one. While growing up and as a teenager, the boys at school tormented the girls at an unspeakable level. The depiction of their cruelty was difficult to read.
Funny, tragic. with honest, cutting language, I was immersed in these stories. I don’t know which parts are true, which are embellished, or if any are purely fiction. I just know that Stories of a Life is not to be missed.
