One of only a handful of American women who have lived and worked in this part of the world, Hudgins debunks many of the myths and misconceptions that surround this -other side of Russia.- Her descriptions of multicourse meals washed down with champagne and vodka and accounts of hors d'oeuvres made of sea slugs and roulades of raw horse liver will fascinate those with adventuresome tastes. And her details of everyday life--local customs, foods, festivals, the education system, and the developing market economy--make the book a valuable travelogue.