Tuesday, March 21, 2017

****The Patriots by Sana Krasikov

•Author was born in Ukraine and raised in the Soviet Republic of Georgia.  When she was eight years old, her family immigrated to the United States.

•ARC via LibraryThing.com

This story reveals a relatively unknown part of pre-WWII history, when thousands of Americans succumbed to the allure of the Soviet revolution and emigrated to Soviet Russia. By the time they understood the dangers they were facing, it was too late. Russia surreptitiously revoked their passports and made many automatic Soviet citizens, preventing them from leaving the country.  Surprisingly, Roosevelt knowingly turned a blind eye to their predicament and left thousands of US citizens without recourse.  They were forced to remain in Russia throughout WWII and beyond. Some never lived to return home, especially Jews.

In a story that spans almost eight decades, Krasikov weaves a painful saga illustrating how one decision can affect an entire lifetime. Themes of political idealism and naivete’, personal unrest and family relations fill the pages in this dark, but compelling novel.

Krasikov is a talented author. She writes seamlessly back and forth between decades. Her characters are well-developed and her story is interesting. I looked forward to reading each chapter and felt the ending was strong. I expect we will see more from this new author. Not only does she research her subject matter thoroughly, she is able to construct the elements in a creative and thoughtful manner. A powerful new novelist!