In this vast and gorgeous tapestry of a novel, serf and master, Cossack and tsar, priest and Jew are brought together in a family saga which unrolls through centuries of history to reveal the most impenetrable and mysterious of lands--Russia. Through the life of a little town east of Moscow in the Russian heartland, Edward Rutherfurd creates a sweeping culture and her peoples--bleak yet exotic, brutal but romantic, land of ritual yet riddled with superstitious fears. From Russia"s dawn and the cruel Tatar invasion to Ivan the Terrible and the wild Cossacks, from Peter, Catherine and the days of War and Peace to the drama of the Revolution and the extraordinary events of today--here is Russia"s story in a spellbinding novel; history recreated with breathtaking detail and passion. "Rewarding reading ... an engrossing story. The novel manages to capture and convey the vastness of Mother Russia, her story and her potential" --Boston Sunday Herald "What"s impressive about Russka is Edward Rutherfurd"s audacity--and his erudition" --Washington Post "It is a series of ingeniously linked short novels, with a great deal of history painlessly delivered ... a very good read indeed" --The Times "...even textured, with just the right amount of spice, it is the literary equivalent of hot cakes" --Sunday Telegraph