The half life of Valery K

Pulley, N (2022) The half life of Valery K. Bloomsbury, London. ISBN 9781408885215

Abstract

In 1963, in a Siberian gulag, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots to avoid frostbite, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life. But on one ordinary day, all that changes: Valery's university mentor steps in and sweeps Valery from the frozen prison camp to a mysterious unnamed town hidden within a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within. Here, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he's expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises: what, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Item Type:	Book
Divisions:	School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities
Date Deposited:	16 Feb 2026 17:11
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2026 17:11
URN:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/17583

	Request a change to this item or report an issue
	Update item (repository staff only)