Knowing but little about the Russian Revolution I approached this nicely presented book with some reservations. However I was soon drawn into the story and found I was unable to tear myself away. Countess Edith Sollohub's husband, being an aristocrat and substantial landowner was deprived of all his land and possessions under the new regime. She then found herself, in her early thirties, penniless, destitute and out of contact with her husband and three small sons. This book tells, in her own words, the story of her survival and escape from the Bolsheviks under a number of different guises and of the incredible hardships she endured, including incarceration in the notorious Lubyanka prison. I was most struck by the fact that throughout her ordeals she always managed to retain her sense of humour. Encounters with a wide variety of Russian, Latvian, Polish and other men and women, from peasants to senior Party officials produced two, if not three offers of marriage. This indomitable lady comes over as a wonderfully resourceful and delightful, as well as humble personality. I should love to have met her. The Countess has been brilliantly served by her daughter-in-law and family who have edited and translated where necessary (the Countess's diaries were mostly in English) and produced a most readable and moving account of a turbulent period of history. The book is illustrated with a number of fascinating contemporary photographs.