Alexander Dolinin was born and raised in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in the former Soviet Union, where he earned an MA in Iranian philology from the State University of Leningrad. After emigrating to Canada, he earned a BA in Honours History from McMaster University, with Russian history as one of his areas of specialization. "Against Destiny", his first novel, is a historical thriller about an escape from Stalin's Gulag. It joins his experience of living in the Soviet Union with a specialist's knowledge of the history, realities and circumstances that shape its main characters and plot. For more information about "Against Destiny", including reviews, see www.againstdestiny.com.Alexander Dolinin is currently working on his second novel, another historical thriller, set in Russian Alaska. His blog "History and Us" is at http://historyandus.blogspot.com/Alexander Dolinin is a Canadian citizen, living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada.