What is the theme in Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine?

Another theme is language. Throughout the novel, the narrator considers language as his tool to access the various worlds his nature inhabits. It is through his grandmother Charlotte's language that the narrator is first introduced to his French heritage. Through her stories, the world of Paris rises up and takes hold of his imagination, and he often compares this nearly-lost city of Paris to the mythical Atlantis. On page 32, the narrator discovers the key to unlocking this Atlantis: language.