Knyzhka Corner Book Review: The Sea is Only Knee Deep by Paulina Zelitsky

The Sea is Only Knee Deep is the true story of Paulina Zelitsky’s defection to Canada from the Soviet Union with her two young children in 1971.

These two volumes explore many topics including: Stalin’s final years, Fidel Castro’s Cuba, and the dangers defecting. Paulina’s story begins in Cuba in 1968. She is part of the engineering team designing a top secret submarine base for Soviet nuclear submarines.

Zelitsky’s story does not shy away from the complex political realities of life in the Soviet Union. Beginning with her birth in 1945 in postwar Odessa, Zelitsky’s Jewish family is subjected to constant scrutiny by the KGB. Despite the death of her mother from Stalin’s imposed famine of 1946-1947, Paulina is an optimistic child who loves difficult tasks. Jokingly, adults tell her, “To you any sea is only knee deep.” This Odessan motto, which is the title of the book, becomes a powerful tool in her life.

Paulina manages to keep a low profile and stay out of politics. Until she can't.

She found herself in Cuba in an untenable situation and defected from the Soviet Union to Canada with her two young children.

These self-published books by Paulina Zelitsky and her husband Paul Weinzweig provide an interesting look at rarely discussed historical aspects of the Soviet Union, Cuba and Canada. Readers will experience the terror that Paulina experienced in her defection process. They will also admire her strength of character.

Today, Paulina and her second husband continue to engage in engineering projects from their Canadian home. Readers of the two volumes of The Sea is Only Knee Deep will be fascinated by Paulina’s insights into the Ukrainian famine, anti-Semitism, Odessan family life, education, and culture, as well as political oppression in the Soviet Union and Cuba.

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