NEVER REMEMBER Searching for Stalin's Gulags in Putin's Russia

While nonfiction, this audiobook is reminiscent of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's novel THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO. Author and narrator Masha Gessen's essays examine various sites associated with the Stalinist labor camps, called gulags. The print edition includes photos by Misha Friedman. Without the photographs, this audio version is considerably reduced in its effectiveness. Nonetheless, Gessen is a skilled wordsmith, and her style has a certain detachment. As narrator, her pronunciation is excellent, and her light Russian accent enhances the authority of her delivery. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2019]