March 10, 2026 marked the launch of Farewell to Russia: Memories of When I Was Kola, a book co-translated by Dr. Teresa Fiore (Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies, WLC Department). Written by Nikolai Prestia in Italian, this autofiction work was published by Rutgers University Press in the OVOI series (Other Voices in Italian). Enriched by a preface by Loredana Polezzi, a translator’s note by Teresa Fiore, and the cover photo by Lilia Pino Blouin created specifically for the book, the publication is part of a collaboration between the author and a mother-daughter translator duo, Teresa Fiore and Daniela Chaudhary Fiore.

first online reviews in the gallery).

Order here (see active link in bio): tinyurl.com/FarewellRussia

Infinite thanks to Alessandro Vettori for embracing the proposal in 2022, Sandra Waters and Eilis Kierans for their wordsmithing as editors, Carah Nasseem, and the whole team at Rutgers University Press, for bringing the project into harbor.

Growing up in 1990s Russia in a family marked by poverty, substance abuse, and neglect, Kola and his sister are eventually admitted into the orphanage system. The ensuing journey, which eventually culminates in the adoption by an Italian family, alternates moments of both trauma and deliverance. Harrowing yet lyrical, Nikolai Prestia’s prize-winning 2021 novel is a testament to the duality of memory in its ability to both hurt and heal, and to the transformative power of those figures, adults and peers alike, who contribute to a child’s development.

, the novel serves up a wrenching glimpse into the back stories that often precede the adoption of an older child.

This project was also made possible through the support of presentations, workshops, and services by the Inserra Chair at Montclair State University over the years.