Fiction: 'The Disappearing Act' by Maria Stepanova.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Fiction: 'The Disappearing Act' by Maria Stepanova.
Authors: Sacks, Sam (AUTHOR)
Source: Wall Street Journal - Online Edition. 3/28/2026, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Literature, Moral attitudes, Russians, Salt marshes, Kinship, Authors, Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022-
Geographic Terms: Ukraine
Abstract: The article reviews three literary works that explore distinct themes through nuanced storytelling. Maria Stepanova's "The Disappearing Act" centers on a Russian expatriate grappling with the moral complexities of witnessing and representing the war in Ukraine, using a surreal narrative of self-erasure to examine silence and complicity. Victoria Shorr's "Fatherland" portrays the long-term impact of familial betrayal in 1950s Ohio, focusing on a sociopathic doctor whose abandonment shapes his daughter's life amid social forgiveness of his actions. Sarah Orne Jewett's reissued 1885 novel "A Marsh Island" offers a tender depiction of rural life and human emotions through the story of a New York painter's arrival in a Massachusetts salt marsh community, highlighting the natural environment and interpersonal dynamics with sensitivity. [Extracted from the article]
Copyright of Wall Street Journal - Online Edition is the property of Dow Jones & Company Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Regional Business News
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: bwh
DbLabel: Regional Business News
An: 192601372
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Review
PubTypeId: review
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
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  Data: Fiction: 'The Disappearing Act' by Maria Stepanova.
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sacks%2C+Sam%22">Sacks, Sam</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Wall+Street+Journal+-+Online+Edition%22">Wall Street Journal - Online Edition</searchLink>. 3/28/2026, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literature%22">Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moral+attitudes%22">Moral attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Russians%22">Russians</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Salt+marshes%22">Salt marshes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kinship%22">Kinship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Authors%22">Authors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Russian+invasion+of+Ukraine%2C+2022-%22">Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022-</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ukraine%22">Ukraine</searchLink>
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  Data: The article reviews three literary works that explore distinct themes through nuanced storytelling. Maria Stepanova's "The Disappearing Act" centers on a Russian expatriate grappling with the moral complexities of witnessing and representing the war in Ukraine, using a surreal narrative of self-erasure to examine silence and complicity. Victoria Shorr's "Fatherland" portrays the long-term impact of familial betrayal in 1950s Ohio, focusing on a sociopathic doctor whose abandonment shapes his daughter's life amid social forgiveness of his actions. Sarah Orne Jewett's reissued 1885 novel "A Marsh Island" offers a tender depiction of rural life and human emotions through the story of a New York painter's arrival in a Massachusetts salt marsh community, highlighting the natural environment and interpersonal dynamics with sensitivity. [Extracted from the article]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Wall Street Journal - Online Edition is the property of Dow Jones & Company Inc and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 1
        StartPage: N.PAG
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Moral attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Russians
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Salt marshes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kinship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Authors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022-
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ukraine
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Fiction: 'The Disappearing Act' by Maria Stepanova.
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sacks, Sam
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          Dates:
            – D: 28
              M: 03
              Text: 3/28/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 25749579
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Wall Street Journal - Online Edition
              Type: main
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