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Six Days in Leningrad Paullina SimonsSix 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 SimonsSix Days in Leningrad Paullina 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

Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott StambachInvisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach


Thanks to Jordan Hanley of St. Martin’s Press, I am giving away one print copy of Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach

Description of Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach


The Fault In Our Stars meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Seventeen-year-old Ivan Isaenko is a life-long resident of the Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children in Belarus. For the most part, every day is exactly the same for Ivan, which is why he turns everything into a game, manipulating people and events around him for his own amusement.

Until Polina arrives.

She steals his books. She challenges his routine. The nurses like her.

She is exquisite. Soon, he cannot help being drawn to her and the two forge a romance that is tenuous and beautiful and everything they never dared dream of. Before, he survived by being utterly detached from things and people. Now, Ivan wants something more: Ivan wants Polina to live.

Praise Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach


“Compelling, intelligent and moving. The love story is executed with unflinching honesty and dark humor. A masterful novel. ” ―Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project

The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko is comic and staggeringly tragic, often both in a single sentence… Ivan Isaenko is one of the most surprising narrators I have encountered―witty, adolescent, well-read, at times quite vulgar, and confined to a life that seems nearly unlivable, until he discovers that even at Mazyr Hospital, love is possible. A grittier, Eastern European, more grown-up The Fault in Our Stars.” ―Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

“An extraordinarily brave and original debut. Ivan is an unforgettable narrator, and his story ripples with intelligence, humor, heartbreak, and humanity.” –Carolina De Robertis, author of The Gods of Tango

About Scott StambachInvisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach


Scott Stambach lives in San Diego where he teaches physics and astronomy at Grossmont and Mesa colleges. He also collaborates with Science for Monks, a group of educators and monastics working to establish science programs in Tibetan Monasteries throughout India. He has written about his experiences working with monks of Sera Jey monastery and has published short fiction in several literary journals including Ecclectica, Stirring, and Convergence.

Giveaway of Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach


This giveaway open to the U.S. only and ends on August 26, 2016 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer LaamThanks to Staci Burt, of  St. Martin’s Press, I am giving away one print copy of The Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam.

Description of Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam


Then…Grigory “Grisha” Potemkin has had a successful long association with the powerful Empress Catherine of Russia. But Catherine and Grisha are older now and face new threats, both from powers outside of Russia and from those close to them. Haunted by the horrors of his campaign against the Muslim Turks, Grisha hopes to construct a mosque in the heart of the empire. Unfortunately, Catherine’s much younger new lover, the ambitious Platon Zubov, stands in his way. Grisha determines that to preserve Catherine’s legacy he must save her from Zubov’s dangerous influence and win back her heart.

Now…When she learns she is the lost heiress to the Romanov throne, Veronica Herrera’s life turns upside down. Dmitry Potemkin, one of Grisha’s descendants, invites Veronica to Russia to accept a ceremonial position as Russia’s new tsarina. Seeking purpose, Veronica agrees to act as an advocate to free a Russian artist sentenced to prison for displaying paintings critical of the church and government. Veronica is both celebrated and chastised. As her political role comes under fire, Veronica is forced to decide between the glamorous perks of European royalty and staying true to herself.

In Jennifer Laam’s The Tsarina’s Legacy, unexpected connections between Grisha and Veronica are revealed as they struggle to make peace with the ghosts of their past and help secure a better future for themselves and the country they both love.

Praise for Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam


“A legacy  worth reading, The Tsarina’s Legacy is an exciting adventure waiting at  one’s fingertips. Jennifer Laam has taken readers to new heights in her  latest novel…A fast-paced and well-developed story that all must read.” – San Francisco Book Review

“A vivid portrait of imperial Russia with lush historical detail, The  Tsarina’s Legacy is also a very timely and thought-provoking read.  Jennifer Laam gives us another master class in intertwining two  storylines that are separated by hundreds of years but inform one  another in lovely, relevant, and surprising ways… An expertly  crafted novel.” – Alyssa Palombo, author of The Violinist of Venice

About Jennifer Laam


Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam

Photo credit: Channa Vance

JENNIFER LAAM is the author of The Secret Daughter of the Tsar. She earned her master’s degree in History from Oakland University in Michigan and her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

She has lived in Los Angeles and the suburbs of Detroit, traveled in Russia and Europe, and worked in education and non-profit development. She currently resides in Northern California.

Giveaway of Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam


This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ends on April 22, 2016 at 12 am pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway