A Brand New Wife

Inna Goff became famous not only as a prose writer and poet, but above all as the creator of popular songs—“Russian Field,” “I’m Smiling at You,” “August,” “When You Stop Loving Me,” and “And Please, Pity Me.” Her songs were sung by Mark Bernes, Maya Kristalinskaya, Joseph Kobzon, and Anna German. Her prose is poetic by its very nature: it’s saturated with images, subtle feelings, and a lyrical sound.

Goff’s texts vary in genre and tone: there are memories of youth and war years, stories-thoughts about the fates and creativity of writers, impressionistic sketches, and travel tales about trips to Italy, Karelia, and the Moscow region.

The characters in this book lived more than half a century ago, but their experiences feel recognizable even today: they love and hope, make mistakes, get disappointed—and still continue to believe. The mother of a soldier just returned from service isn’t ready to accept that her son has grown up and is going to get married, and she does everything she can to sabotage his relationship. A girl, persuaded by her aunt, writes to a stranger who sent a letter to her father, as if everything is wonderful in the family—without imagining what consequences this secret plan will bring. An experienced doctor, who has recently learned about his severe illness, can’t bring himself to tell the truth to his wife and daughter—and in his thoughts he writes farewell letters to his long-ago love—letters that will never be read. And a married couple sets the table expecting an old friend and his “completely new” wife, but they can’t forget their previous closeness with his first wife, Marisha—and they unwittingly compare the past with the present.