Six Days in Leningrad Paullina Simons
Six Days in Leningrad Paullina Simons
Six Days in Leningrad is the memoir of the famous author of ‘The Bronze Horseman’ series, Paulina Simons. It is about the journey behind ‘The Bronze Horseman’. Paulina was born in Russia and soon after she started writing her first story, she traveled from the U.S. to Leningrad with her father to do some research. (Note: Leningrad is now known as St. Petersburg).
It had been a quarter of a century since Paulina and her father visited their homeland and it was not what they expected. They found a city that looked war torn as if it had gone back in time. They saw buildings in disarray, bombed fields that wouldn’t grow food, and huge families living together in small rooms. Despite that, they also met up with old family friends that were still as warm and inviting as ever.
Six Days in Leningrad is the story of Paulina Simons family history and the nation they came from. Though it has a slow start, it is a poignant story and history that reads very much, like a novel. At times I felt like I was there with Paulina and her father, witnessing what has become of her childhood home.
My grandparents fled from Russia as Jews being persecuted. They wouldn’t talk about it but I imagine from the few words they did speak, that they were in one of the Jewish ghettos. I hate to imagine what they went through and know they wanted to protect us from their reality. I have read quite a bit about Russia and its history. I don’t feel any kind of tie to it but am curious about it, as I am about many countries and their histories.
4/5
I received a ebook from Edelweiss and this is my honest review.
About Paulina Simons
Paullina Simons was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1963. At the age of ten her family immigrated to the United States. Growing up in Russia Paullina dreamt of someday becoming a writer. Her dream was put on hold as she learned English and overcame the shock of a new culture.
After graduating from university and after various jobs including working as a financial journalist and as a translator, Paullina wrote her first novel Tully. Through word of mouth that book was welcomed by readers all over the world.
She continued with more novels, including Red Leaves, Eleven Hours, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross (also known as Tatiana and Alexander), The Summer Garden and The Girl in Times Square (also known as Lily). Many of Paullina’s novels have reached international bestseller lists.
Apart from her novels, Paullina has also written a cookbook, Tatiana’s Table, which is a collection of recipes, short stories and recollections from her best selling trilogy of novels, The Bronze Horseman, The Bridge to Holy Cross, (also known as Tatiana and Alexander) and The Summer Garden.
I loved The Bronze Horseman trilogy and have read it several times. Recently, I have come across a dealer on Ebay, who has many, many pictures taken by Wehrmacht troops from the campaigns throughout WWII. Several groups were from Russian and Ukrainian villages and from the sites of the major tank battles outside of Leningrad. The pictures reminded of different scenes in the trilogy and I could picture Tatiana and Alexander there. This is a definite MUST MUST read for me.
I think genealogy is fascinating — both my own as well as of others. This novelistic family history sounds like a really enjoyable read for me! Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Teddy. Cheers, Kara S
Kara, have your read the Bronze Horseman trilogy? The books start at the invasion of Russia by Germany in WWII.Readers either love it or they don’t. The criticism is usually domestic violence in the third book. But the reader has to remember all the violence, that Tatiana and Alexander lived through. I love the story of Tatiana and Alexandra, even more so than Jamie’s and Claire’s. (I’m biting my tongue Outlander worshippers.)