A Russian émigré writer and member of the Moscow literary group Sreda, his early prose demonstrated a profound understanding of urban life and vernacular language, often employing the narrative techniques of oral folktales. His significant prerevolutionary works, including novellas like The Man From the Restaurant, adhered to the tenets of critical realism. Following his emigration, he penned anti-Soviet stories and books imbued with a deep nostalgia for the pre-revolutionary past, such as The Lord’s Summer.
Роман "Няня из Москвы," написанный в излюбленной Шмелевым форме сказа, это повествование бесшабашной русской женщины, попавшей в бурный водоворот событий истории XX века и оказавшейся на чужбине. В страданиях, теряя подчас здоровье и богатство, герои романа обретают душу, приходят к Истине.