The Captain's Daughter

This last piece of literature by Pushkin, a historical fiction in the Walter Scott vein, also displays his interest in and research of 18th-century Russian history. During Catherine the Great's reign, the young Grinev leaves for his new job in the army and shows charity by lending a man his warm coat when he is shivering in a storm. This decision pays off when he eventually finds himself involved in the uprising led by the notorious—and strangely familiar—Pugachev. In the end, only an appeal by Masha Mironova, the namesake captain's daughter, to the Empress herself can unravel a complicated web. Competition with a fellow officer for the love of Captain Mironov's daughter further complicates Grinev's problems. Read more