The White Terror and The Red: A Novel of Revolutionary Russia

"The White Terror and The Red: A Novel of Revolutionary Russia" by Abraham Cahan is a historical novel written in the early 20th century. The book explores the political and social turmoil during the revolutionary period in Russia, particularly focusing on the interactions between characters from various social classes, including nobility and political dissenters. Central to the narrative are characters like Prince Pavel Boulatoff, who navigates his loyalties against his awakening sense of justice amidst the oppressive regime. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Czar Alexander II during a summer retreat in Germany, where he attempts to experience life as an ordinary citizen. This setting contrasts with the troubled political landscape back home, where revolutionary ideas bubble beneath the surface. Young Pavel and his tutor, Alexandre Pievakin, engage in discussions that highlight the tension between loyalty to the Czar and sympathy for oppressed individuals like Pani Oginska, a Polish woman whose life has been disrupted by political upheaval. As Pavel grapples with his identity and beliefs, the reader is drawn into the dynamic debates and moral dilemmas that will shape his journey throughout this turbulent period in Russian history. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Abraham "Abe" Cahan was a Lithuanian-born Jewish American socialist newspaper editor, novelist, and politician. Cahan was one of the founders of The Forward, an American Yiddish publication, and was its editor-in-chief for 43 years. During his stewardship of the Forward, it became a prominent voice in the Jewish community and in the Socialist Party of America, voicing a relatively moderate stance within the realm of American socialist politics.