The Wine of Eternity: Short Stories from the Latvian - Paperback

by Knuts Lesins (Author)

The Wine of Eternity was first published in 1957. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.

Ever since the small Baltic nation of Latvia became a part of the Soviet Union in 1940, its identity has been blurred to Western eyes. Many of its people have left their country in voluntary or forced exile. But, wherever they are today, the Latvians still cherish and preserve a rich national heritage of folklore and culture. Much of this is revealed in these stories, the work of an established Latvian writer who became a wartime refugee from his country.

This volume makes the work of Knuts Lesins available in English for the first time, although his writing has been published extensively in Europe in the original Latvian. In addition to the stories, the author provides a background sketch of the history and culture of Latvia. While much of the fascinating folklore of the country is interwoven in the stories, they are not primarily folk tales. They are perhaps best described as penetrating glimpses into human lives at moments of crisis or decision which reveal an individual's character and philosophy.

Back Jacket

Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible to scholars, students, researchers, and general readers. Rich with historical and cultural value, these works are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions. The books offered through Minnesota Archive Editions are produced in limited quantities according to customer demand and are available through select distribution partners.

Author Biography

Knuts Lesins, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, lived in Riga, Latvia, from an early age until he left the country during World War II. He came to the United States in 1950. Mr. Lesins' novels and short stories have been published in the Latvian language in Latvia, Germany, and Sweden. He was awarded the first prize of the Latvian Cultural Fund for his volume of short stories Reflections, published in Germany in 1946, and he won a prize of the Latvian-European Cultural Fund in 1956 for the short story Linden Blossom.