To me this was an account of a little known result of the Yalta Conference and its effects on the Russian people and their being handed over to the Soviet authorities for imprisonment. The story of Zakhary and Anna is a compelling one, and hard to believe that the perceived peace of the ending of WWII had such far-flung consequences. Well written historical fiction.

Refreshing!
In the past decade, there were a number of books published that are called Pop-Holocaust. These are historically inaccurate novels, with strong romantic threads and are often set in the most horrible places of terror you can imagine, such as Auschwitz. Many argued that these novels are highly disrespectful towards the 6 million of victims. I totally agree.
Instinctively I felt that a novel written by a Russian author would be closer to the real events and would show great empathy and understanding of the lives of ordinary people and their fate during the Soviet era. I´m pleased to say that I was right.

The whole story is told by two people Anna and Zakhary. They meet in Syberia and they tell each other about their past. The narration goes backward and forwards. In such cases, it´s easy to create a mess and put the reader off, because it's easy to lose track. Here, however, I want to highlight that the author and the editing team have done a brilliant job. Zakhary's story starts at 30% of the book. This simple decision makes such a difference. I didn´t get lost in time and their stories. I knew exactly where were we at all times. The reading experience was flawless. Thank you :)

The stories are based on real events. I´ve read over many years lots of true accounts written by survivors, enough to know that what the author portrays here is totally believable. I am familiar with the Yalta agreement and the repatriations. But I had no idea about the Cossaks' military involvement in WW2. So I guess I learned something new.

It´s a very good book. Definitely worth your time.

This is the fourth book I've read by Marina Osipova so I was prepared to learn about little-known historical events while experiencing soul-crushing despair on behalf of the characters. I knew nothing about the human cost at the end of WW II due to the Yalta Agreement and now I will never be able to erase it from my memory.

The story unfolds as Anna begins to tell her tale to Zakhary while they are both waiting on the boat to take them away from Siberia. It is 1955, and each has finally been released from the Gulag system. The author masterfully shows what happens to ordinary people when they are caught up in a war and a totalitarian country. I can't imagine the joy of surviving the war only to be sent to Siberia as an enemy of the Soviet Union. Anna, Zakhary, and so many others truly were "the victims of victory." Their shameful fate had been sealed in Yalta by Churchill and Roosevelt. It's past time for this to be exposed and reading this book as well as sharing it is a good start. I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.