The book is structured as a dialogue between the "Russian notebooks" of Merino's 28-year-old self and the perspective of her present-day self. Key elements include:
She worked for El Periódico de Catalunya and La Voz de Asturias during her time in Moscow.
The book is widely available for purchase at major retailers like Casa del Libro and Amazon . It can be found in several formats: Olga Merino - Agencia Literaria Carmen Balcells
Merino arrived shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, witnessing the rise of "wild capitalism," the assault on the Russian parliament, the war in Chechnya, and the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
The text explores her "literary vocation" and the struggle to find her own voice. Her time in Russia eventually inspired her first novel, Cenizas rojas (1999).
Beyond journalism, the memoir covers intimate topics such as fear, love, loneliness, and the search for identity in a decaying world. Biographical Context