A Masterpiece missing from Many Lists.

*     What a tragedy? A masterpiece misses from many lists. 

*     'And Quiet Flows the Don' is arguably one of best books of all times but sadly it doesn't find its deserved place in many  lists. It seems most writers/book lovers who have made those lists, either haven't read it, or have undervalued its worth. 

*   The book depicts the life of the Cossacks living in the Don River  valley during the early 20th century, just prior to World War I. The plot revolves around the Melekhov family of Tatarsk village, descendants of a cossack who had taken a Turkish captive as his wife during the Crimean War. Accused of witchcraft the  superstitious neighbours try to kill her but are fought off by her husband. Their descendants, the son and grandsons often nicknamed "Turks". Nevertheless, they command a high respect amongst the folks  in Tatarsk.

*   The second son, Grigori Melekhov, a promising young soldier falls in love with Aksinia, the wife of Stepan Astakhov, a family friend. Stepan regularly beats his wife. Grigori and Aksinia's romance and elopement raises a feud between her husband and his family. Against the backdrop this romance, the best young Cossacks fight in two of Russia's bloodiest wars. In the battle Grigory saves Stepan's life, but that doesn't end the feud. 

*   No book has so beautifully captured the lives, culture and traditions of the Cossacks living on the banks of the Don river. The Cossacks were a warrior race who contributed immensely to growth of Russia as a military superpower through centuries.

*   It's important that people across the world should read about such a wonderful race.