The Life of Leo

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven,” Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount. Repina’s heroine, Lev the librarian, is a modern “holy fool” who, at the age of 32, has never been with a woman, yet understands birds and animals. Lev is obsessed with the fate of the poet from the Mandelstam circle, Kliment Syzrantsev, and gradually grows close to the residents of the poet’s museum apartment. One day, a terrible truth is revealed… The novel amazes with its проникновение into the most hidden mechanisms of a troubled soul. To see the familiar world through the eyes of the “blessed” is an extraordinary experience. For those who enjoy the prose of Alla Gorbunova, Maria Stepanova, and Marianna Ionova.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for yours is the Kingdom of God, Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount. Repina’s heroine, Lev the librarian, is a modern “holy fool” who, at the age of 32, has never been with a woman, yet understands birds and animals. Lev is obsessed with the fate of the poet from the Mandelstam circle, Kliment Syzrantsev, and is planning to write a monograph about him. One day, a terrible truth is revealed: Syzrantsev never existed. And this entire mystification was invented by descendants with one sole purpose… The novel astonishes with its access to the other side of madness, into the most hidden mechanisms of a suffering soul. To see the familiar world through the eyes of the “blessed” is an extraordinary experience. For those who enjoy the prose of Alla Gorbunova, Maria Stepanova, and Marianna Ionova.
“Nataliya Repina has a unique voice—special, unlike anyone else. And only with such a voice could this story be told: piercing, clear, full of sadness and light.” — Marina Stiebnva (Marina Stepanova)