In the nineteenth century, relations between Russia and the US were good. In the 1860’s, George Keenan, a young telegraph operator was part of an expedition to Siberia by the Russian-American Telegraph Expedition, a project to build a connection between the Americas and Europe. The project never happened, but George Keenan began a life long love affair with Siberia.
At that time many people believed the Siberian exile system was superior to the American prison system. In 1885 Keenan returned to Siberia with the intention of documenting the system. He started believing that the Russian system was preferable because prisoners were able to take their wives and children. The reality was sickening. The women worked themselves to death, froze, and many of the children didn’t survive.
When Keenan returned from his trip, he made it his mission to expose the system. His descriptions of the hardships endured by the prisoners opened people’s eyes to the abuses and led to deteriorating relations with Russia that last to this day.
This is an excellent book part biography of Keenan, part Victorian travel story, and part a discussion of the abuses to the exile system. The book is well documented. Most of the book is easy to read and the travel descriptions are enthralling. Occasionally, the pace slows, but the content is so interesting, I didn’t mind the slow places. I highly recommend this book for an early look at Russian American relations.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this review copy.
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