“McBride has always been a gifted and lyrical storyteller, but never more so than in this gorgeously written novel of 19th century Ukraine and Russia, in which she brings a young Anton Chekhov to life. The story will remain with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Superb.”

 “This gentle but profound novel takes you on a quietly magical journey through nineteenth century Ukraine, mixing the Chekhovian sensibility with contemporary spirit to create the effect of delightful immersion.”

“This restrained and beautiful book utterly transported me to summer in Russia in the late 19th century: to a lovely old estate with a neglected peach orchard. McBride beautifully suggests how shards of the daily material of life can be picked up by an extraordinary writer and transformed into art. I never wanted to leave the enchanted, doomed world she conjured.” 

“Regina McBride’s new book evokes a loving nostalgia for a place we’ve never known—Chekhov’s Russia—McBride’s story comes at Chekhov’s from the side, presenting us not only with the family’s eccentric and complicated history, but the vision of the author himself, as a character in the work. A beautiful and eloquent rendering of a place and time we somehow feel is ours.”

“This transportive novel sweeps the reader up into a vivid, melancholic dream set on a nineteenth century Russian estate. Regina McBride creates her own Chekhovian tragi-comedy that delights as it captures a lost world frozen in time. The White Deer is a gripping must-read for anyone who loves literature and a love story gone awry.”