The Chukchi Bible

Like Yuri Rytkheu's other novel DREAM IN THE POLAR FOG, THE CHUKCHI BIBLE is set in the far north of Russia, where the traditional way of life of the Chukchi natives comes under the assault of modernity in the early 20th century.The book intertwines traditional myths with the story of Rytkheu's own family, a lineage that included the last shaman of Uelen, Mletkin, who was murdered soon after the establishment of the Soviet rule in Chukotka.Ilona Yazhbin Chavasse's excellent translation is a perfect rendering of Rytkheu's smooth story-teller's voice, which I have had the pleasure of experiencing in the original, and is sure to charm readers of all ages.My favorite in this book were the chapters about Mletkin's upbringing, as a boy and then a teen who has to choose whether he will follow his destiny as a shaman. The writing is simple, beautiful, and psychologically insightful; you can't help but root for the young man as he struggles with accepting his responsibilities before he can fully command his gifts.An excerpt from this novel will be published in the Fall 2011 issue of Chtenia - Readings from Russia

Traveling, experiencing other cultures and in depth conversations rate high on my list of favorite pastimes and if you can't have the real thing, The Chukchi Bible is an excellent substitute. Myth, legend, history and real time all blended to introduce me to a world on the Chukchi Sea in Siberia I knew nothing about. Identifying with most aspects of this way of life is a stretch which made it all the more intriguing. I write this because bits and pieces of it keep floating through my mind, especially when I can open my freezer door and take out a fish with great ease. Unfortunately, Yuri Rytkheu died in 2008 but, clearly left something very valuable to many of us. I recommend this to people with a spirit of adventure, to those who enjoy exploring other cultures and, those who complain about insignificant things. Thanks to bookWOMEN for recommending this book (go to womenpress.com).

Yuri Rytheu's epic account of the struggles of the Chukchi people and their shaman/warriors uncovers depths of suffering, beauty, horror and splendor. It is a uniquely unsparing and lyrical account of human survival.

This is a wonderful, collection of myths, folk tales and short stories that build from the creation of the Chukchi in the harsh Arctic tundra, how the generations evolved from seafaring people to deer herders, to traders with the "hairmouths" from Russia.The writing is poetic and the stories fascinating. We are treated to descriptions of the icy tundra in the Chukotka Peninsula and the various rituals of the shamans. We see a society evolve from a simple fishing and whaling clan who occasionally raid other clans for women to marry, who later assimilate with the deer herders in the grassy tundra so they would have warm meat, and who are later discovered by Europeans. With the influx of more explorers, their world expands and they now have different choices available to them, some good, some bad and some which would have repercussions on this tribe of people.