Secondhand Time

Svetlana Alexievich

May 24, 2016

Secondhand Time is an epic work of oral history by Nobel Prize winning author Svetlana Alexievich. It documents the journey of ordinary people from the Soviet Union to post-Communist Russia. Through a series of interviews, Alexievich captures the voices of common people to reveal the heartbreak, confusion, and despair at the sudden and unexpected dissolution of Soviet power.The stories captured in Secondhand Time take us all over the Soviet Union, from Ukraine to Kazakhstan to Estonia, and explore the experience of living through and navigating a new, unfamiliar world. The accounts of Alexievich’s subjects, from factory workers and doctors to military personnel and everyday folks struggling to make ends meet, are heartbreaking, heartbreakingly honest, and deeply humbling.The stories recorded in Secondhand Time convey the lives of those who suffered, while celebrating those who made it through. Alexievich’s writing style is poetic, allowing us to feel the emotions, fragility, fear, and hopelessness that her subjects faced. The result is an essential read that is sure to stay with readers long after they turn the last page.Through her kaleidoscope of firsthand accounts, Secondhand Time paints a vivid, multifaceted portrait of the former Soviet Union. Its stories serve as a testimony to the power of the human spirit and a reminder of how fragile and fleeting life can be.