The Samovar

The samovar is an important object in the novel not just because it was a central feature in Nana Sashie’s stories, but also because it shows up again in Rache’s life. The samovar was important enough to Sashie’s mother that she found reasons to take the pieces of it with her when she left Russia. Years later, however, when Rache finds part of the samovar wrapped up in a box of fabric scraps, her family members don’t seem to know what it is or what it is used for. Ed has the samovar restored, though, and it becomes part of Rache’s story.

Although the samovar isn’t really an important part of Nana Sashie’s story until the family left Russia, there are references to it throughout the novel. Sashie describes the way she could see the samovar from her...