WEST WARWICK, R.I. - s4story -- Joann and Jim Mead's new memoir, Married in Moscow: A Red-Hot Memoir in Cold War Times, invites readers to relive one of the most intense periods in modern history from the perspective of two Westerners navigating love, diplomacy, and survival in Moscow. Amid Cold War espionage, cultural divides, and historic global events, this unique, fast-paced, and often humorous memoir delivers a first-hand look at life in the Soviet Union during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

On a hot August day in 1979, Jim Mead—a "mad Englishman" with a guitar and sheepskin coat—and Joann, a "California wild child" who defies Soviet rules, arrive in Moscow as new teachers at the Anglo-American School. Through alternating narratives, Joann and Jim take readers on a thrilling journey that captures the essence of Cold War tensions, moments of absurdity, and personal triumphs. From photographing forbidden locales to hosting spirited dinners with diplomats, journalists, and even a few spies, their story immerses readers in a world where secrecy and surveillance are everyday realities.

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During their time in Moscow, the world shifts rapidly: the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, leading to the U.S. and U.K.'s Olympic boycott, and a busload of students under Joann's care faces a perilous detour near the Iranian border amidst the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran. As the Meads navigate these challenges, readers will be captivated by tales of Joann's arrest in a closed city and a diplomatic incident that keeps Jim from boarding a steamship to Japan.

Their escapades highlight the complexities of living in a society shadowed by suspicion and government scrutiny. From dining with the U.S. Ambassador to hosting American icon Bob Hope at their school, they find humor and humanity within the iron boundaries of the Soviet state. With 40 rare photographs, dissident art, and propaganda posters, Married in Moscow brings the vanished USSR to life in a vivid, unforgettable way.

Professor Marcia A. Morris of Georgetown University describes Married in Moscow as "fast-paced, riotous, and moving," a memoir that brilliantly captures the highs and lows of life in a vanished world.

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Joann Mead is the author of the acclaimed novels Tiger, Tiger and Designer Baby. Together, Joann and Jim Mead's adventures in the Soviet Union and beyond have shaped their life together and inspired Joann's work as a writer. Now retired, the couple continues to share their stories, bringing humor, warmth, and insight to audiences around the world.

Married in Moscow: A Red Hot Memoir in Cold War Times
by Joann & Jim Mead
Paperback: $39.95
ISBN: 978-1-963296-91-4
Pages: 262
https://www.stillwaterpress.com