Stories I Stole

£7.99

Steavenson went to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia on a whim. This unusual travelogue wittily captures her stay, featuring rigged elections and games of hangmen with secret police. Picnics and politics are detailed equally and demonstrate her passion for the peculiar place that she finds herself in. Strange, invigorating and still reckoning with the legacy of its most famous son, Stalin, Georgia is a post-Soviet mess; eight nationalities, five languages and two separatist regions make up the country. Corruption is rife, very little works and there is frequently no electricity. Yet Steavenson revels in the country. Recognising its flaws, she celebrates its literature, people's hospitality, traditions and warmth. Her strong style and eye for detail make this a poetic introduction to a chaotic, beguiling, little-known land.

Reviewed by Alex Stewart, International Books buyer, Stanfords Covent Garden

Shortlisted for the 2003 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.