Book: The Beginning of Spring

"The Beginning of Spring" by Penelope Fitzgerald is a captivating novel set in Moscow during the early days of 1913. The story follows Frank Reid, an Englishman who runs a printing shop, whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Nellie, suddenly leaves him, taking their three children with her. However, Nellie inexplicably sends the children back, leaving Frank to care for them amidst the backdrop of a city on the brink of revolution.

As Frank navigates the complexities of running his business and raising his family alone, he hires a young Russian woman, Lisa Ivanovna, as a nanny. Her presence stirs emotions and leads to unexpected changes in his well-ordered life. Fitzgerald intricately weaves a narrative that is rich in historical detail, capturing the essence of a Russia poised on the edge of change. Her prose is elegant and insightful, exploring themes of love, identity, and cultural displacement with subtlety and humor. "The Beginning of Spring" is a beautifully rendered portrait of personal and political upheaval, set against the vibrant and often mysterious landscape of pre-revolutionary Russia.