This book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Compiled from scattered writing by Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, the book really lacks any kind of a throughline to anchor her story. There is some inspired writing here and her descriptions of searching out food for her children during the Russian Revolution is unforgettable. But the book also would have benefited from more frequent notes to explain the various historical characters and events. Doing my own research as I read became extremely cumbersome and distracting.