"Armed With Patience" is the best treatment out there of what's happened to life in Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Winchell tells us about the Russia few Western journalists and tourists ever see, from shopping and health to children and spirituality -- and much more. Her observations are based on two nine-month stays in the 1990s, and are enriched by her language fluency and solid grounding in Russian history and culture. Winchell is a keen observer and gifted writer. Details, anecdotes, and proverbs take us from the general to the memorable. "Armed With Patience" is a little jewel.