Leningrad: The People's War by Rachel R. Heil
Leningrad: The People's War
by Rachel R. Heil
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Ratings 4.4/5
Synopsis
Leningrad, 1941. As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government.
University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow citizens are prepared to do to each other to survive.
As his men plow through the Russian countryside, Heinrich Nottebohm is told to follow orders and ask no questions, even if such commands go against his own principles. His superiors hold over him a past event that continues to destroy him with every day that passes. But, when given the opportunity to take an act of defiance, Heinrich will jump at the chance, ignoring what the end results could be.
Leningrad: The People’s War tells the harrowing beginning of a war that forever changed the landscape of a city, told through the eyes of both sides in a tale of courage, love, and sacrifice.
My Thoughts
As soon as I opened the book I was gripped. I read it almost non-stop.When I did have to put it down, I was full of regret that the story was over, a regret I still feel. This is a wonderful and intelligently imagined retelling of a familiar tale from an unfamiliar angle. So original and disconcerting that it will surely come to be seen as a paradigm-shifter Leningrad: The People's War is an amazing book on beginning of a war. Leningrad, 1941. As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. I must say , this is a beautiful and profoundly human and war book, a dark mirror held up to our own world. And the fact that its conclusion takes place after the curtain has fallen only proves that Rachel R. Heil is one of our bravest as well as our most brilliant writers.
A great but difficult read. The book demands some patient and involved reading atleast for first 100 pages or so to get some grip on the characters and a bit different yet lovable writing style. But all these hurdles lead up to a rich and rewarding reading exercise of 326 pages. The book is a fascinating read both in terms of insight and drama. Before starting this book I didn't have any idea about these famous characters in history and so started it with no past baggage, and in that respect thus this book was quite enriching.
All and all A superb novel, beautifully constructed, and an absolutely compelling read. A novel of war times which persuades us that we are there, at that moment, hungry to know what happens next. It is the making of our English world, and who can fail to be stirred by it?
Highly Recommended!
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