Helpful Score: 8
I am a fan of historical fiction and have never read a book about Soviet Russia. This was a book club choice so I was interested in learning about Russia during Stalin's reign and communism. The facts of the times were chilling, especially parts about everyone watching your every move and informing on you, which could result in death or a sentance to a Gulag, which is where part of this story took place. Incarcerated in a Gulog, two women form a fierce friendship, managing through all odds to help eachother stay alive. Yet Anna becomes very sick, and Sophia is convinced that she must escape and find Anna's long lost love ( 15 years lost) convince him to return with her to the Gulog and free Anna. That's possible isn't it? That is only the first of the many things that the author asks us to believe to make this story credible. There are many, many more. I am usually willing to accept some incredulity in the interest of a good story, but here even I had to stop and say, really? really? This historical fiction was light on the history and heavy on the fiction/romance/fantasy. A woman who has spent long years in a gulog, overworked, starved, frozen and then tramps on foot across Russia after escaping is not "beautiful" or "luminous" no matter who she is. Nor is one who is so ill she is coughing up blood and on the verge of dying. There were major inconsistencies that were to hard to believe, and when you are reading a book of almost five hundred pages, you WANT to believe! The only reason I finished it was becouse it was for book club. Though the history was interesting, the story left much to be desired.
Helpful Score: 5
I waited in the WL queue a long time to read this book, having loved The Russian Concubine, also from Kate Furnivall. Having now read it, I am left wondering--great story with huge potential, but some elements in the novel that I cannot quite fit together with the main plot or figure out how they relate or enhance it. Great historical detail--one feels like one lives in early Soviet Russia, and she evokes the culture of suspicion and fear splendidly. A good read, but be prepared for some loose ends.
Helpful Score: 2
Overall, this book is pretty good read. Taking place in both the gulag and small town Siberia, this is a tale of the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution. On the surface is a quest to reunite the lost love of Anna, her beloved Vasily. Deeper within the pages is the tragedy of collectivization and party line that came with the early Stalin era. I read a lot of Russian history. I must admit that the book does that some license with the limits of history, but as a work of fiction it is relatively accurate. The gypsy mysticism stretches the limit of plausibility (historical license as well), but this book should be a good read even if you don't read Russian history.
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this book! I have not read a lot of Russian history and found the communist culture in the book both fascinating and heartbreaking. Sofia's journey drew me into the book and made for quick reading. I highly recommend this book!
Helpful Score: 1
I am a real fan of Kate Furnivall. I have read all her books and this is a good one, filled with her characteristic blend of history, action and romance. Even though the subject of life in Stalin's Russia sounds very grim, her spirited characters let the reader celebrate the human spirit. I will be looking for more from her.
Helpful Score: 1
A difficult book to read if you're sensitive to man's inhumanity to man, but it does open one's eyes to what life was really like in Stalin's time. It's amazing to look into the minds of labor camp prisoners and see how hard they work to survive -- and that they even WANT to survive given their conditions! The relationships, both inside and outside of the labor camp, are complex, particularly with the inability to know who to trust, but are strong once trust has been established. I was disappointed with the direction the book took about 2/3 of the way through and how it ended. That said, I'm still glad I read it because it was a real eye-opener to a way of life I've never had to, thankfully, experience, but too many others over the centuries have.
Helpful Score: 1
I read "The Russian Concubine" and loved it. I tried to like this book but it dragged so in the middle and I could not finish it. The characters were not likeable to me.
Helpful Score: 1
Very absorbing story. Made you feel like you were there, and could feel the womens struggles.
I read this book this month with a few buddies in my online book club, The Reading Cove. Having loved THE JEWEL OF ST. PETERSBURG, I'm making quick work of reading more by Kate Furnivall.
Unfortunately, although very well-written, THE RED SCARF was a huge disappointment.
It started out interesting - a prison camp in 1930's Siberia. Two long-suffering women become fast friends and are basically willing to die for one another.
But as the story continues, vacillating between past and present to fill in their backstories, I completely lost interest. Aside from the fact that Sophia does some really non-sensical things, these characters never really took on three dimensions for me and, sadly, by the halfway mark, I found myself not really caring where the story went, so I just skimmed through to the end.
Not even the gypsies could work enough magic to save this pulseless narrative.
The frigidly cold setting came alive well in this book, casting an overcast pallor the narrative never overcame. I give this one a C.
Unfortunately, although very well-written, THE RED SCARF was a huge disappointment.
It started out interesting - a prison camp in 1930's Siberia. Two long-suffering women become fast friends and are basically willing to die for one another.
But as the story continues, vacillating between past and present to fill in their backstories, I completely lost interest. Aside from the fact that Sophia does some really non-sensical things, these characters never really took on three dimensions for me and, sadly, by the halfway mark, I found myself not really caring where the story went, so I just skimmed through to the end.
Not even the gypsies could work enough magic to save this pulseless narrative.
The frigidly cold setting came alive well in this book, casting an overcast pallor the narrative never overcame. I give this one a C.
This is a good book, although not an easy read. I am used to reading books in 3 days. This one took about a week. You do want to finish it to see what happens. It captivates you with it's history lessons. For sure one to read, but make sure you have quiet time to do so!
