Words Will Break Cement, Masha Gessen
Words Will Break Cement, Masha Gessen
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Words Will Break Cement
The Passion of Pussy Riot

Author: Masha Gessen

Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie

Unabridged: 7 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/08/2014


Synopsis

The heroic story of Pussy Riot, who resurrected the power of truth in a society built on liesOn February 21, 2012, five young women entered the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In neon-colored dresses, tights, and balaclavas, they performed a "punk prayer" beseeching the "Mother of God" to "get rid of Putin." They were quickly shut down by security, and in the weeks and months that followed, three of the women were arrested and tried, and two were sentenced to a remote prison colony. But the incident captured international headlines, and footage of it went viral. People across the globe recognized not only a fierce act of political confrontation but also an inspired work of art that, in a time and place saturated with lies, found a new way to speak the truth.Masha Gessen's riveting account tells how such a phenomenon came about. Drawing on her exclusive, extensive access to the members of Pussy Riot and their families and associates, she reconstructs the fascinating personal journeys that transformed a group of young women into artists with a shared vision, gave them the courage and imagination to express it unforgettably, and endowed them with the strength to endure the devastating loneliness and isolation that have been the price of their triumph.

About Masha Gessen

Masha Gessen is a Russian-American journalist who writes fluently in Russian and English. She contributes frequently to Vanity Fair, The New York Times, Newsweek, Slate, and many other publications. The author of several previous books, she lives in Moscow.

About Carrington MacDuffie

Carrington MacDuffie is a voice actor and recording artist who has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, received numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has been a frequent finalist for the Audie Award, including for her original audiobook, Many Things Invisible. Alongside her narration work, she has released a new album of original songs, Only an Angel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Trish on April 02, 2016

When I began this book I was a little put off by the lack of distance between the journalist and her subjects. It is unusual (but not unheard of) for a reporter to so obviously take sides in a debate. By the end of the book, however, this lack of distance no longer troubled me. Gessen had no access......more

Goodreads review by Alan on August 23, 2015

This book shows what happens when church and state are not separated. There are two classic forms of church-state combination. The most familiar to us is theocracy, when religious clergy control the state or have the state do their dirty work, as in Calvin's Geneva (where Calvin, by his own admissio......more

Goodreads review by da on April 19, 2017

Hard to say 'enjoyed' this book as its such a heartbreaking story, yet its a wonderful book. The reader frames it well. It tells of the humanity of Pussy Riot members, ordinary yet extraordinary women.......more

Goodreads review by Meg - A Bookish Affair on June 23, 2016

"Words Will Break Cement" is the story of Pussy Riot, a all-female punk band in Russia who dares to protest against Vladmir Putin, the Russian establishment, and the Russian government in a church. This gets some of the members sent to work camps and ignites passion for freedom of speech around the......more


Quotes

“Urgent…damning…Much here will be new to the American reader. All of it is infuriating.” New York Times

“Pussy Riot is a global cause célèbre, and now Gessen—prickly, frank, precise, and sharply witty—provides the first in-depth look at this story-in-progress.” Booklist (starred review)

“Illuminating…[A] revelatory introduction to the story.” Kirkus Reviews


Awards

  • New York Times   Bestseller