"The book is an easy read, flowing effortlessly; its intricately twisted detective plot makes it impossible to put down. And the simple, accessible narrative style — focused mostly on events and facts, without unnecessary embellishments, emotions, or epithets — helps you stay focused on what matters most, without getting distracted by minor details." — Yana Lyubarskaya, STMEGI.com (translated from Russian)“Marat Grinberg, a scholar of Russian and Jewish literature, culture and film at Reed College, has expertly translated the memoirs of his grandfather, Mikhail Goldis (1926-2020), who worked as a district attorney and detective in Ukraine for three decades and wrote his memoirs in the U.S. in the early 1990s. Each story is quickly engaging and often makes a profound or revelatory comment on the nature of being Jewish not only in the Soviet Union but also in the world in general.” —Monica Osborne, Jewish Journal“Mikhail Goldis' biography is far from typical for Soviet Jews...In his memoirs, Goldis reveals a side of Soviet Jewish history that is different from the usual narrative of persecution and discrimination." —Michael Krutikov, Yiddish Forward“There are so many layers to this book that I have barely begun to unravel them. A thriller. An autobiography. An intimate history of Jew-hatred in post-Tsarist Russia. A portrait of Soviet Jewry. A grandson's tribute. A primer on the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. A gem of immigrant nonfiction.” — David G. Roskies, The Jewish Theological Seminary"A compelling new book shows post-Holocaust life in Ukraine through the day-to-day struggles of one Jewish lawyer...Many modern readers have no idea the constant threat someone in his position was under and will thrill at the suspense and danger... Mikhail Goldis’ amazing story has finally reached the English-speaking world, and it’s astounding." —Valerie Estelle Frankel, Bookishly Jewish“Mikhail Goldis' memoirs, superbly translated by his grandson Marat Grinberg, provide a gripping account of the life of a Jewish prosecutor and detective in the former Soviet Ukraine. Goldis' many insights into the complexity of the Soviet Jewish experience make this book especially rewarding.” — Samuel D. Kassow, Professor of History, Trinity College “Seemingly straightforward and unpretentious, Mikhail Goldis’s memoir is packed with intriguing characters, psychological insights, and breathtaking narrative twists. Students of Soviet Ukrainian post-WWII history, Jewish and memory studies and all those who enjoy mystery and suspense won’t be able to put this book aside. Kudos to Marat Grinberg on this excellent translation which brings his grandfather’s captivating text to the English-speaking audience!” — Radislav Lapushin, Associate Professor of Russian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill“Among the growing number of memoirs and documents of post-WWII Soviet Jewish life available in English, few approach the liveliness, nuance, and novelistic suspense of Mikhail Goldis’s Memoirs of a Jewish District Attorney from Soviet Ukraine. Elegantly translated, edited, and introduced by Marat Grinberg, Goldis’s grandson and one of the leading scholars of Soviet Jewry, the book offers not only sustained sensitive reflections on history, justice, and identity, but also a collection of true crime stories that ought to satisfy the most discerning fans of that genre. Readers will come away with a deeper appreciation of the richly varied, intertwined lives Jews and ethnic Ukrainians led under Soviet rule.” — Boris Dralyuk, translator of Isaac Babel, Andrey Kurkov, and other authors
