I initially picked up this book and looked at the photos of the Skoptsy's self mutilation. I then sat down to browse the book at greater depth. I didn't read it cover to cover (read: I read perhaps one or two chapters) but I really enjoyed Laura's tone in talking about a group of people that were perhaps greatly misunderstood. Engelstein made a beautiful comment that I have never forgotten, "we must not cast the shadow of our own distress on the story of the Skoptsy. Their physical suffering was something they willingly embraced."