Jan Pierson, also known as Calamity Jan, is an accomplished international author of seventeen books with a distinguished career as a writer, educator, and storyteller. Holding a degree in psychology and criminal justice from The Evergreen State College, she has been a teacher and presenter in both the United States and Europe. As a former …

Calamity Jan and the Russian is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant memoir that chronicles Jan Pierson’s cross-cultural love story with Valentin Gudkov, a Russian physicist nine years her junior. This raw and honest narrative explores the complexities of a Russian-American marriage, navigating cultural clashes, misaligned expectations, and the transformative journey of self-discovery through love …

This is not just a love story—it’s a leap of faith.