Growing up in Russia from 1973-1991 was an exercise in bloated rhetoric and startling contrasts between the privileged class and the ordinary citizens, including Anya’s family. Stork narrates the touchstones of her life as a child and teenager, exploring the everyday aspects of life: eating, bathroom habits, shopping, medical and dental care, schooling, and the lack of sex education. Stork contrasts life in Moscow with the simpler life in the country and Ukraine. She explains how she devoted a large part of her life to preparing at camp and school for an American attack on Russia. She details what life was like for the average Russian child: mischief but in cramped housing conditions, with shared toilets and kitchens, and in all areas a lack of privacy, but strong unhealthy competitiveness throughout their society. Through touching and often humorous stories of what occurred in her family, Stork explains Russians’ attitude toward sex, childcare, and popular media. Most importantly, Stork emerges as an articulate spokesperson for intelligent analysis of her society and family. As the oldest child of five, she is expected to excel in school and piano while helping out at home. Teenagers will relate to the overwhelming feelings she experiences but can’t express. Readers will cheer when she throws off the yoke of her teachers’ unreasonable expectations and charts her own course.