Eugene Yelchin's first memoir was THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE about his childhood in Russia and the challenges of living in a small apartment with his family and a number of others all hoping to stay safe from Russian rule. I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS is the tale of an older Yelchin. He is a young man hoping to practice his art and still hoping to stay safe from those in power.
Yelchin describes meeting a young American girl studying in the city. She fascinates him as he attempts to educate her on the dangers of a place so different from her America. He must avoid those who dislike artists and at the same time avoid being drafted into the military and sent to fight in Afghanistan. Yelchin's mother and grandmother don't really understand him, and they aren't fond of the girl who seems to have stolen his heart.
In an effort to practice his art, Yelchin spends some time in Siberia designing sets and costumes for plays performed there. All the while he is waiting for Libby to return from America. He might be able to escape his homeland if she will agree to marry him, but this requires cutting through Russian red tape that threatens to be impossible.
Yelchin's artwork is used to enhance the memoir readers will find full of danger and adventure as he plans his escape to a better life.
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