In this month’s Online Reading Group we will discuss Jamilia by Chingiz Aïtmatov, a love story set in a remote village in Kyrgyzstan against the background of the Second World War. Jamilia portrays the struggle between patriarchal and tribal traditions and Soviet ideology, between family and independence, hope in desperate circumstances, and a love for one’s homeland described in Aïtmatov’s stunning evocation of the Kyrgyz landscape.
The Online Reading Group will help to improve inclusivity and accessibility, giving the opportunity for those who cannot attend in person to join us for discussion. We encourage you to join us in person if you can, and leave the online places to those who would benefit from them. The meeting will be facilitated by our bookshop co-curator Sasha Padziarei and engagement curator Alisa Oleva.
When Jamilia’s husband leaves to fight at the front, she spends her days working on the collective farm in the small village, accompanied by Seit, her young brother-in-law, and Daniyar, a sullen newcomer to the village who has been wounded on the battlefield.
Seit, the narrator of the story, observes the beautiful, spirited Jamilia spurn men’s advances and wince at the dispassionate letters she receives from her husband. Meanwhile, undeterred by Jamila’s teasing, Daniyar sings as they return each evening from the fields. Soon Jamila is in love, but before long her husband returns from the war.
2021 saw the opening of Pushkin House’s very own physical bookshop in addition to our online store. While it is still being honed and developed, we are keen to highlight literature that inspires, encourages, moves and validates our readers. We also want to amplify the voices, writers and readers that historically didn’t get and, perhaps, still don’t get the visibility, power and appreciation they deserve. Most of all, we want to create a physical (and an online) place for connection where people can come and share their views.