Russia, 1993. Certain Freedoms is an unforgettable novel set against the upheaval of a nation at a turning point in history. Award-winning author R. R. Bell brings readers into the lives of Russians and expatriates from the West caught up in Russia’s fight to realize its new freedom after the fall of communism. Set during the weeks leading up to the siege of the nation’s parliament, the novel explores the power of the past to threaten our future. In this richly textured rendering of the period, Bell brilliantly links the lives of English teachers, a disillusioned communist, an icon painter and a woman struggling to translate the most important word of her generation. Freedom.