Second-Hand Time

Second-hand Time, from 2015 Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich, captures the fractured voices of those who witnessed the USSR’s demise. In a powerful and unique literary tapestry, Alexievich weaves together extended personal accounts and a chorus of perspectives to explore the vanished Soviet culture and the uncertain future of its people. Through the stories of everyday men and women, she crafts a magnificent and poignant portrait of post-Soviet society—a civilization in ruins.