Waiting for Winter to End: An Extraordinary Journey Through Soviet Central Asia

1994. Review copy--pre-1st Edition. Trade paperback. TRAVEL Very Good . 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Discard stamped on title page. Advanced reading copy/Proofs. ISBN 10: 0028811100 Synopsis: The author recounts her experiences traveling in the Muslim provinces of Soviet Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan, and Azerbaijan. From Library Journal: Central Asia has been, and continues to be, the fracture zone among the peoples of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is a region of deep ethnic divisions, economic chaos, political confusion, and enormous environmental problems. Both of these titles strongly convey a sense of increased political instability resulting from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Geyer, an American journalist who spent a month in 1992 in Tatarstan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan under the sponsorship of the Radio Free Europe Fund, skillfully weaves a fabric of political reportage, historical background, and personal travel narrative. Thubron (Where Nights Are Longest, Grove/Atlantic, 1987) travels even farther, and rougher, and complains less about his discomforts in doing so. Where Geyer interviews high-ranking officials, Thubron mingles with a cross section of people. He gets near the borders of China and Afghanistan, places seldom visited by foreigners. Both authors have a long-time fascination with the region, speak some Russian, and sympathize with the plight of all groups. We are fortunate to be offered two excellent books on a part of the world that deserves more attention in these dangerous times of shifting political and economic balances. Libraries should acquire both books, if they can.