The Communist’s Secret by Suzanne Parry (Get Red PR Book Tour)

 

What is the most action-packed book that you have read lately?

Katya Karavayeva has a secret.  In a moment of weakness, she complained about her husband at work.  Little did she know that this information would be used to arrest her husband and throw their entire family out of the communist party.  Katya joins the war effort to prove her loyalty.  Her camp is attacked, and she escapes with Svet, a young woman also working at the camp.  Will they be able to survive in the wild and keep themselves save from the Nazis?  Will Katya be able to forgive herself for the betrayal of her husband?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The author of this novel, Suzanne Parry was a former Pentagon arms control negotiator and studied Russian in Moscow.

·       This historical fiction novel was action packed.  It pulled me into the story right away and kept me enthralled throughout the book.

·       This is book two in the Leningrad series.  I haven’t read the first novel.  This can be read as a stand-alone.  I need to read the rest of this series!

·       I always enjoy stories of living off the land, but also trying to hide from the Nazis and keeping yourself on the right side of your own government really pushed up the thrill level of this book.

·       There were themes of betrayal and forgiveness throughout this novel.

·       Katya really grows as a character throughout the story to realize that her own government isn’t perfect and doesn’t treat its citizens with care.  It also looks at the communist system.  For example, a successful farmer had their farm taken away and it no longer produces as well under the new communist system.

·       The ending was perfect.  It was unexpected and hopeful.

·       This book really got me thinking – how did families that were split up in WWII find each other again?  Katya’s daughter and mother-in-law were in Leningrad while Katya was all over the place.

·       It also made me think - what would I do to stay alive?  Katya has a relationship with a Nazi commandant at one point in the novel.  Would you be friendly with the enemy?

The Communist’s Secret by Suzanne Parry was a unique and very engaging WWII story set in Russia with an unforgettable main character in Katya.   

Book Source: Thank-you to She Writes Press for a review copy of this novel as part of the Get Red PR Book Tour.