This book is based on a true story. Mila Pavlichenko was a librarian and a history student. During World War II she became the deadliest female sniper during Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and killed over 300 Nazis and was known as Lady Death. She becomes a national heroine and is sent to Washington D.C. on a goodwill tour to meet First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She soon finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life which will change the course of history. This book shows the horrors of war. The characters were believable and seemed very real. The great writing allowed me to picture what Mila was experiencing. The story is told from Mila's POV and official memoir entries with her humorous observations also notes from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. I have read The Alice Network and The Rose Code and enjoyed those books. I am now looking forward to reading The Huntress. The Diamond Eye is a must read for historical fiction readers.
In this chaotic time when Russia invaded the Ukraine would you read about a female Russian sniper in WWII? Maybe, maybe not but this author is one whose work I love so I did not hesitate. (Remember that the Ukraine is part of Russia during WWII.)
The heroine is Lyudmila Pavlichenko, seduced by an older man when she attends a dance at age 15. Pregnant, her influential father forces marriage but the two separate. He wants nothing to do with a pregnant teenager nor the baby but refuses divorce. Known as Mila, both mother and father to their son, Slavka, she learns to shoot, qualifing as a sharp shooter. Juggling work and writing her doctoral thesis, her goal to become a historican derails when Germany invades Russia. Mila enlists, becomes a sniper and soon leads an elite group of snipers. She learns to shoot from bunkers, bush, trees and buildings. Amassing more than 300 kills, Mila becomes known as Lady Death. Nevertheless, women like Mila still faced the same old prejudice of their place in the world so promotions usually went to the men around her.
The author conveys horrors of war with vivid and brutal detail as Mila and her countrymen struggle to repel the Nazis. In the past, few women fought in front lines but in WWII about 800,000 Soviet women served their country. Through Mila's eyes, the reader views its true costs: human, mental, emotional, and more. Amidst the chaos, Mila finds a devoted sniping partner and love. Injured four times, she loses her lover when he throws himself over her during an attack.
In 1942 Russia sent Mila to the U.S. where she befriended Eleanor Roosevelt. Many doubters, mostly men, see just a pretty face. Proving she is a sharpshooter, she earns support for the U.S. paving way for entering the war. As the story develops, Mila encounters a sniper hired to kill FDR, and frame her for the act.
This is a powerful well written book about a remarkable woman, one I couldn't stop reading. To see photos and learn more about Mila look for Lyudmila on the internet.
The heroine is Lyudmila Pavlichenko, seduced by an older man when she attends a dance at age 15. Pregnant, her influential father forces marriage but the two separate. He wants nothing to do with a pregnant teenager nor the baby but refuses divorce. Known as Mila, both mother and father to their son, Slavka, she learns to shoot, qualifing as a sharp shooter. Juggling work and writing her doctoral thesis, her goal to become a historican derails when Germany invades Russia. Mila enlists, becomes a sniper and soon leads an elite group of snipers. She learns to shoot from bunkers, bush, trees and buildings. Amassing more than 300 kills, Mila becomes known as Lady Death. Nevertheless, women like Mila still faced the same old prejudice of their place in the world so promotions usually went to the men around her.
The author conveys horrors of war with vivid and brutal detail as Mila and her countrymen struggle to repel the Nazis. In the past, few women fought in front lines but in WWII about 800,000 Soviet women served their country. Through Mila's eyes, the reader views its true costs: human, mental, emotional, and more. Amidst the chaos, Mila finds a devoted sniping partner and love. Injured four times, she loses her lover when he throws himself over her during an attack.
In 1942 Russia sent Mila to the U.S. where she befriended Eleanor Roosevelt. Many doubters, mostly men, see just a pretty face. Proving she is a sharpshooter, she earns support for the U.S. paving way for entering the war. As the story develops, Mila encounters a sniper hired to kill FDR, and frame her for the act.
This is a powerful well written book about a remarkable woman, one I couldn't stop reading. To see photos and learn more about Mila look for Lyudmila on the internet.
An enjoyable fictional account about a real female badass. Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Russian sniper in WWII. Her death count was so high she was also known as Lady Death. Her notoriety took her overseas to the US where she spoke about the war and became good friends with the first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt (another badass of her time).
While I delighted in most of the story, it did feel a bit too long and some things repetitive. I also liked a lot of the characters but never felt emotionally attached to them. I was happy that this story passed my way or I would've never knew about Mila and her extraordinary life.
While I delighted in most of the story, it did feel a bit too long and some things repetitive. I also liked a lot of the characters but never felt emotionally attached to them. I was happy that this story passed my way or I would've never knew about Mila and her extraordinary life.
The Diamond Eye is just the sort of historical fiction that I love to read. It's based on a true story about an incredible woman, and not only did I get a feel for the era, how women survived in the military, and what the life of a sniper is like, I fell completely under the spell of Lyudmila (Mila) Pavlichenko.
The story is told mainly by Mila, but we also hear from Eleanor Roosevelt as well as a paid assassin. How author Kate Quinn managed to write a story from these three very different points of view and keep each one of the characters so compelling is a sign of her talent, and it will definitely keep me coming back for more. (Yes, this is the first book of hers that I've read.) I also appreciated her Author's Notes as well as the bibliography at the end. The notes showed me how the author blended fact and fiction, and the bibliography will help me find the books I need for further reading.
And Lyudmila Pavlichenko is definitely a person worth reading more about. Strong, determined, smart, yet flawed, she is just the type of person to prove that you should never turn your back on historians or librarians.
The story is told mainly by Mila, but we also hear from Eleanor Roosevelt as well as a paid assassin. How author Kate Quinn managed to write a story from these three very different points of view and keep each one of the characters so compelling is a sign of her talent, and it will definitely keep me coming back for more. (Yes, this is the first book of hers that I've read.) I also appreciated her Author's Notes as well as the bibliography at the end. The notes showed me how the author blended fact and fiction, and the bibliography will help me find the books I need for further reading.
And Lyudmila Pavlichenko is definitely a person worth reading more about. Strong, determined, smart, yet flawed, she is just the type of person to prove that you should never turn your back on historians or librarians.
Definitely a unique novel based on the real life Russian (actually Ukrainian) sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Quite a few names I was unsure how to pronounce but I did the best I could since I read the book aloud to my husband. I think he enjoyed the technical military details, we both learned more about WWII. and we were both guessing as to where some of the storyline was going to âtake' us. I always read the Author's Notes, if there are any. Thes notes were interesting as they helped us understand how fact and fiction was blended together.
