It’s time to launch our voyage into a new book. Over the next six weeks or so we’ll be traversing with Arseny across medieval Russia, contemplating all the while matters of history, faith, mysticism, wonder, beauty, tragedy, sin, repentance, guilt, love, and much more. Here on this first episode, David, Heidi, and Tim explain why they love this book so much, discuss what makes Vodolazkin such a gifted writer, contemplate the way the book approaches bodies and physicality, and offer some tips for reading the rest of the book. Happy listening!

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