Showing results by author "Julia Gousseva" in All Categories

Most books about the Soviet Union focus on politics, food shortages, or lack of democratic freedoms. This collection of stories portrays everyday experiences of a young girl growing up in the Soviet Union of the 1970s. Childhood can be a magical and innocent time, oblivious to political regimes and problems. And that's what these 12 stories strive to convey.

Nikolai, a bodyguard in the prestigious Centurion Personal Protection agency, is injured in the line of duty. While recovering from his injuries, he is assigned to a new client. An easy case, his boss tells him. Nikolai travels to a small quiet town north of Siberia to provide protection for a young woman, on her dad’s request. At first, both Nikolai and his boss see the assignment as a whim of a rich overprotective father.

Instead of traveling to Russia with mom and dad, 10-year-old Alex and his nine-year-old sister Katie are stuck in a creepy old house with their weird Aunt Karina. Alex thinks that his summer is ruined. But then the kids discover a portal that leads them into the magical world of the Firebird. That world quickly becomes dangerous. The kids search for the way back, but instead find Baba Yaga, the Russian witch.

A young man named Emelya is imprisoned by an evil tsar. Alex and Katie rush to the rescue. When they stop by a log cabin to ask for directions, a creature in a sheepskin's coat with green furry hands opens the door. His emerald eyes shine a bright green light right at Alex and Katie. Is he a friend or an enemy? Will Alex and Katie find Emelya? Will they return safely to Aunt Karina's house?

Nikolai Volkov is a combat veteran of the Chechen war with a passion for finding truth and doing the right thing. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Nikolai embarked on a career of a bodyguard and soon became the best in the prestigious Centurion Personal Protection Agency in Moscow. He excels at protecting his clients and preventing crimes. But this time, his case is personal. His brother calls Nikolai with an urgent plea for help, and Nikolai heads to a small town in Crimea. The town is quiet and picturesque, but dark forces are at work behind the scenes.

Nikolai Volkov is a combat veteran of the Chechen war with a passion for finding truth and doing the right thing. His father is a decorated military hero, and Nikolai had planned to follow in his footsteps until the dramatic social and political changes in Russia made it impossible. In the new Russia, Nikolai embarked on a different career and soon became the best bodyguard in the prestigious Centurion Personal Protection Agency in Moscow. Nikolai prides himself on his ability to use his analytical skills, as well as his military combat skills when protecting his clients.

Anya, a 17-year-old high school graduate, can't wait to marry her high school sweetheart and have a secure and stable life with him. Even when Russia is thrown into political turmoil and economic hardships, from food shortages and long grocery lines to exorbitant prices and late-night monetary reforms, Anya believes that love will persevere. Then, life takes an unexpected turn, and Anya has to face deceit, betrayal, and humiliation from the person closest to her.

A peaceful summer morning in Moscow is invaded by a column of tanks rumbling down a quiet tree-lined street. People are protesting in the streets, independent news outlets are being silenced, and Mikhail Gorbachev is declared unfit to run the country. His whereabouts are unknown. It is August 19, 1991, and the communist hardliners are attempting a coup with plans of eliminating Mikhail Gorbachev and turning back his democratic reforms.

Alex and Katie are on a new adventure: they need to save the Nutcracker and the princess from an evil spell. They step through the magical painting and enter a snowy town on Christmas Eve. They see a sleigh and an elderly man in a long coat delivering gifts. They rush to him only to discover he is not who he seems. Will Alex and Katie be able to save the Nutcracker, find the princess, and crack the magical walnut before the clock strikes 12?

In Grandma Witch: Adventure Four, Alex and Katie embark on a journey to rescue a little girl from the three-headed dragon. But they soon find out that the problems they're about to face are much more serious than they could have anticipated. Baba Yaga, the Russian witch, immersed the whole forest into total darkness by capturing the Guardian of Light and his horse. It's up to Alex and Katie to find the Guardian of Light and bring sunlight back into the forest.

It's a warm June morning at Aunt Karina's house, but the air suddenly turns cold. Thick, white snowflakes are falling down and covering the ground. Ten-year-old Alex is surprised and delighted. He senses the approach of a new adventure. Together with his nine-year-old sister, Katie, he rushes into the winter forest in search of a little girl, Masha. She is lost in an unexpected storm. They see her footprints in the snow and follow them.

Alex and Katie embark on a new adventure, more exciting and more dangerous than ever before. They have to help Cinderella find her Prince who disappeared during an afternoon horseback ride. Everyone in the Palace is worried about the Prince and about Cinderella. What happened to him? Did he get lost? Was he kidnapped? Is he still alive? And will he and Cinderella ever be together again?

Tall Tales for Short People will make you laugh, dream, and time travel. This collection of short stories is for kids ages four to eleven. Older kids can listen to some stories, such as "Jungle Music" and "Little Dragonfly", with their younger siblings.

Anya's husband, a submariner, has died at sea, leaving Anya alone with her baby daughter. She returns to Moscow, but rebuilding her life is unexpectedly hard. It's the 1990s, and Moscow is undergoing dramatic social and economic changes. The old ways of living and making money don't work. Anya has to find new ways to survive, and fast. Her new life takes Anya from Moscow to Poland to Beijing, with dramatic experiences and encounters with violent crime, deceit, and corruption.