Russia, we meet again. So far, you’ve seduced me with a detective series, wowed me with a mythic fantasy retelling. So, what do you have for me today? A historical fiction, by author L. Bordetsky-Williams? Sure, why not.
Strange eBook formatting aside, the story pulls you right into the heart of Russia. The narrative see-saws between a Jewish Russian woman named Sarah from the 1920’s, and Anna (her 1980’s American descendant) as the latter is attempting to piece together what happened to the family in the old country. Cut in the memoir style, the novel attempts to set the two different Soviet periods against one another, as the protagonists learn, love, and suffer through their varying circumstances.
The narrative is effective. There is a subtle undercurrent at play between the two time periods that helps bind the story. Further, her characters, dialogue and descriptions help paint the scene well, lending to a strong grounded envisioning. For instance, in the chapter delving into 1915-1921. You get a clear picture of the meandering town of Gornostaypol. You can almost smell the bakers produce, junk sellers. And the shacks occupied by the Jewish folk, with their red and blue painted rowboats.
Honestly, I found little to quibble about this novel outside of some formatting here and there. In sum this a moving piece, but not an easy read – this would not be the type of book to digest with several others, it requires your complete focus. This is not a book one can easily put down. Or forget.
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