“I Was at Mr. Sparrow’s Talking” is a collection of unique memories that are being heard for the first time. The heroes of these stories dared to tell about their experiences only at the end of their lives. They do not contain official stories and widely known facts — only the living, unvarnished truth about Belarus in the 20th century. This is a book about the choice that faced everyone: to cross the border and seek personal gain or to stay on the side of the world, developing culture, education, and well-being.

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This book contains no well-known facts and almost no well-known plots. The author has collected together stories that witnesses dared to tell only at the end of their lives. Nevertheless, the facts and plots form a picture of Belarus in the 20th century, and it cannot be said that this picture is incomplete or untrue. It tells the story of the line between good and evil in the soul of a Belarusian person, which some crossed, plundering lordly estates, while others did not, expanding enlightenment and increasing prosperity.