V Immigratsii is a sweeping work of historical fiction tracing the extraordinary journey of a Soviet Jewish family fleeing the USSR in the late 1980s — a time when leaving meant surrendering everything. Told through multiple points of view, the novel moves between tense days in Austria and Italy, where the family petitions for refuge and chases a long-held dream, and the confined days of a present-day COVID lockdown, as they gather to reflect on the life-altering path they once traveled. As past and present converge, V Immigratsii explores the cost of survival, the weight of memory, and the enduring ties of love and belonging — all shaped by an unexpected turn in their search for a new home. "For those of us who experienced being "v immigratsii", Marina Raydun's novel is a nostalgic reminder of a time we somehow managed to survive. For those like young Benjamin, who teases out his family's stories during the long, empty days of Covid lockdown, the entire saga has a sense of the fantastic, and even the exotic, with a surprise twist I never saw coming!" -Alina Adams, NYT best-selling author of The Nesting Dolls and Go On Pretending "This multigenerational immigrant saga takes you on an intimate journey through the emotional battles that rip apart families when each member faces the heart-wrenching choice: leave behind everything they know and everyone they love for a chance at freedom. Through the eyes of the youngest family member conducting interviews during pandemic lockdown, we witness the raw courage it takes to rebuild identity across generations. Beautifully written and devastatingly honest, this story captures the universal struggle of millions of Jews seeking not just survival, but home. You'll close this book in awe of human resilience and celebrating the hard-won triumphs that can emerge from the deepest losses." -Galina Cherny, author of the award-winning Last Train to Freedom "...an engaging tale about a specific wave of immigration about which relatively little has been explored. An emotionally stirring narrative..." Kirkus Reviews