This dramatic and poignant chronicle of four generations of a Russian family begins in the dazzling court of Tsar Alexander III, traces the Ignatieff family's rise to power and influence in the imperial regime of Tsar Nicholas II, and sweeps us into an avalanche of revolution, civil war, and exile.

Drawing on family diaries, photographs in an old family album, and stories passed down from father to son, Michael Ignatieff movingly comes to terms with the meaning of his family's memories and history in an extraordinary time.

Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer and historian. His books include Scar Tissue (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize), The Russian Album, Blood And Belonging, The Warrior's Honour, The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror, and The Rights Revolution. His work has been translated into many languages and awarded numerous prizes and awards. Before being elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament in 2006, he was Professor of Human Rights and Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University. Until May 2011 Ignatieff was leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He lives in Toronto, where he teaches at the University of Toronto.

Michael Ignatieff's profile page

WINNER OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD AND THE HEINEMANN AWARD

"A remarkable picture of a lost world … moving and understated."—The Daily Telegraph (London)

"A family memoir written with acute intelligence and sensitivity … a well-told story of fidelity, folly, and a trust in the persistence of a tight family structure." —The Globe and Mail

"Through skilful use of diaries, photos, heirlooms, and history, Ignatieff recaptures the essence of old Russia and shows how the fate of families and nations intertwine and how both endure. Highly recommended." —Library Journal