The Taste of Dreams
The Taste of Dreams tells the story of modern Russia through the trade in illegal caviar that grew up after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It’s both a travelogue and a memoir of the friends I made while living in Russia and travelling in the south, near the Caspian Sea, where caviar comes from. It’s also a meditation on the excitements -- and the dangers -- of living in a place where the rules people once lived by have all but broken down. Finally, it’s a coming-of-age story about growing up and learning to go home.
More about this book
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review
Critical acclaim
“A darkly seductive tour through new Russia” and assorted praise for this book!
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background article, pictures and maps
Caspian Sea
Part of The Taste of Dreams is set in or around the Caspian Sea, where most of the world’s caviar comes from.
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extract
Caviar salesmen in Moscow street markets
Everything was dangerous in exciting, cruel new Russia. Buying caviar was an exercise in fast talking, glib or nervous…