In his beautiful literary treatise on bilingual Spanish and Hispanic writers, Pérez Firmat, a bilingual writer himself, raises several questions that are crucial to a full understanding of the phenomenon of bilingualism and yet are unexamined in the scholarly field that studies it. What is the nature of the emotional bonds that tie individuals to their languages? How do these ties influence self-expression? What are the consequences of living in exile, away not only from one's country but also from one's language? What happens when one falls in love across a language boundary?

These questions resonate profoundly with me, a Russian Jewish immigrant who has lived for more than a decade in the United States. The words of my native language, Russian, brim with intimacy and familiarity. They are permeated with memories of my childhood and youth, friendships and intimate relationships, happiness and disappointments. For me, Russian has no neutral words – each one channels voices, each one inspires feelings.