The first time I read this Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, was about ten years ago. I had to reread it for a bookclub.
This time I listened to it. The audio version inspired me to change my stars from four to five. It tells the story of Anya aka Vera and her escape from Leningrad during the siege in WW2. Of course, there is more, but the heart of the story is her escape. To hear it told, with a Russian accent is just about more than the heart can take. Rarely, do I find myself sobbing at the end of a book. This one did it to me.
We Americans do not realize how lucky we are. We have never had to struggle for survival during war the way those in Europe have had to countless times. What happened in Russia during the war is barely glossed over in our required high school European history. This book gives an excellent education on what was lost and the suffering that went on. So many innocent live lost. Put this one on your TBR list.
Life In The Falls 