A Man of Two Superpowers

Brainwashed by the school propaganda at the end of Stalin’s rule, Yakov Grinshpun becomes an ardent young patriot. Unable to reconcile the communist ideals with the anti-Semitism he encounters throughout his school years, Yakov dreams of a way to escape the shell of propaganda.

A move from a shtetl to college in the city of Odessa opens his eyes to the realities of Soviet life: lack of freedom, harsh economic conditions, and the double life he is forced to live as a teacher. The idea of emigration is planted in his mind and grows into a desperation to leave the socialist “Paradise.”

After living in a socialist zoo for decades, would he be able to escape and put roots in a capitalist jungle?

A Man of Two Superpowers is an engaging, intimate, and moving memoir of struggle, depression, and accomplishments—sprinkled with humor and self-deprecation. This story gives an inside look of a transformation of a patriot into a “traitor” and the struggles an immigrant must overcome to become an American.

“A Man of Two Superpowers is a powerful book about perseverance, resilience, and the huge human spirit. As a daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I found it particularly moving and relevant regarding today’s immigrant experience.” –Laura Zam, author of The Pleasure Plan

“A Man of Two Superpowers is the perfect memoir for our times. It makes a solid and poignant case for the U.S. as a land of freedom and opportunity. Yakov Grinshpun makes the best possible argument for welcoming immigrants. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have neighbors like him. And we would be the worse for it.”–Caren S. Neile, Ph.D. author of Florida Lore

Yakov Grinshpun was born in the Soviet Union, in a Nazi-controlled Jewish ghetto, at the end of World War II. Brainwashed during the last years of Stalin’s rule, he dedicated his life to the regime. The realities of Soviet life gradually led him to disappointment, disillusionment, and distrust. He got tired of his double life—praising the regime as a teacher while hating the system. Rampant anti-Semitism and worsening living conditions led to the desire for change. When the door to Jewish emigration was open by the pressure from the West, he made a difficult and dangerous decision to leave the country for good. After a first unsuccessful attempt, he emigrated at the age of 45. His adjustment in a country with different culture, mentality, and language was difficult and humiliating. However, Yakov didn’t just rebuild his old life; he created a new life for himself and his family in the new country.