Through the Dark Woods

In ‘Through the Dark Woods’, Aleksandr Skorobogatov focuses on his son, whom he helped to raise until the age of five. When the boy is fifteen, the author receives an email from him after they’ve not been in touch for years. The restored contact is only brief, since after barely ten days of emailing back and forth, the boy is brutally attacked and dies a violent death. More than twenty years pass before Aleksandr Skorobogatov tells the poignant story of his loss, and looks back at their relationship and the reason they didn’t see each other for so long. In the novel, Skorobogatov describes the overpowering feelings of guilt and grief that have tormented him since the loss of his son.

This book describes the pain of sudden parting, the bureaucratic obstacles to attending the funeral, and the raw emotions that overtake the author during the burial service. Skorobogatov wrestles with his guilt at having left his son and his inability to protect him. He seeks forgiveness, both from his son and from himself. During the trial of the three suspects, the father feels no hatred for the boy’s murderers, but above all guilt about his own failure. The novel raises penetrating questions about justice, revenge and forgiveness.

In the second part of the novel, Skorobogatov goes in search of hope and takes comfort from the thought that his son behaved so courageously in the final moments of his life. He also learns to cherish memories of him. ‘Through the Dark Woods’ is a heartbreakingly honest and at the same time philosophical novel about the search for meaning after an unimaginable loss. This unforgettable book makes us think again about guilt, forgiveness and the power of memories.