The Enchanted Wanderer and Other Stories; Tr. from the Russian by G.H. Hanna, [and] Ed. by J. Katzer | 
Yesterday, I picked up this 1958 edition of stories by Nikolai Leskov. It was published in Moscow, USSR by the Foreign Languages Publishing House, and has an invitation at the back to write with feedback on the book, which I am 100% choosing to believe was a recruitment and communication channel for Soviet spies in the West during the Cold War! 🕵🏻♀️⚒️
The dust jacket is a bit worn, but to be expected having been packed into a valise and ⬇️
Bookwomble ... bumping up against a Makarov pistol on multiple trips through Checkpoint Charlie. The cover has a lovely embossed design, presumably of the title character of the story, "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk". There's an author photo for the frontispiece, and line illustrations for the story title pages. So it's a nicely made volume, and I only have to hope the stories themselves do it justice?? 3mo
IriDas Now that you mention the spy idea—it was likely for clandestine communication too. A code within the letter to the publisher. I wonder if there were codes within the book itself. They have departments in governments that check for that sort of thing. 3mo
AnnCrystal 🆒📚😎Wow! 3mo
LeahBergen I love that embossed part of the cover! 3mo
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