Rights sold: China - WUHAN UNIVERSITY PRESS, France - L’ESPRIT DES PENINSULES, Russia - AST, Serbia - UTOPIA
The novel depicts the tragic life of Vera Radostina, a communist party member who was married a high ranking commissar in Stalin’s government. Her life changes, however, after her husband is labelled an enemy of the people. She then loses everything – her husband is shot, her children pass away, and her house is taken from her. In this period of sorrow she decides to begin to relive her life by reading all of her old diary entries. Critically, the novel was well-received by reviewers who took an interest in the existential questions brought up by the novel, such as: is it possible to turn back time and is there an end to suffering?
Although the questions are well posed and explored in the novel, Sharov does not offer answers.
In Russia,
The Old Girl has sold a total of 15,000 copies in Russia.