There are few people better placed to write about the Russian penal system than Kira Yarmysh, press secretary to the world’s most famous political prisoner, Alexey Navalny. In her debut novel, The Incredible Events In Women’s Cell Number 3, Yarmysh leans heavily on her own experiences of protesting against the Putin regime to craft an immersive and eye-opening tale of female incarceration.
Unlawfully jailed for attending an anti-government rally, protagonist Anya is an arrestingly modern heroine. Her fumbling attempts to navigate first love and a fledging career are derailed, however, by her growing need to rebel against a country determined to silence outspoken queer women like herself. In her communal cell, Anya meets a gang of similarly disaffected inmates, each with their own tales of oppression and exploitation to share.
Yet, hope is not quite lost. As strange visions begin to haunt Anya’s dreams, she learns that the women of cell 3 are more powerful than they appear, and they don’t intend to go down without a fight. While its supernatural leanings may alienate some readers, as a modern, feminist and frighteningly relevant retelling of One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, the novel succeeds in shedding light on some of Russia’s darkest institutions.
The Incredible Events In Women’s Cell Number 3, Kira Yarmysh (Serpent’s Tail)
Price: £16.99. Info: here
words RACHEL REES
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