Days in the Caucasus | 
“I abhor the state of ignorance precisely because it is ignorant of the real world in all its magnificence, horror, and divinity. To accept the world and love it just as it is — herein lies the glory of mankind. It would be too easy to love a good world”
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 This memoir was published in France in 1945 by Banine, about growing up in Azerbaijan. I can‘t remember the last time I learned so much about culture and history from a memoir. Some parts were a little slow and I didn‘t love her occasional “oh I forgot to mention..” which made it feel even more unedited. Though I felt she wrote with a sense of detachment I found a lot of her younger life experiences fascinating and I‘m glad I read this.
“To my mind, the definition of childhood is very simple: belief in stability and the goodness of the world. Take away that belief, and childhood comes to an end.”
What a time to be reading this memoir about the author‘s childhood, during which Russia invaded Azerbaijan, given the current invasion of Ukraine.
