PositiveLibrary JournalCreating a cohesive novel that features nuclear physics, the sport of polo, the excitement of a world’s fair, and the dangers of unprotected sex is a gargantuan task. Stephenson leaves readers winded but satisfied.
Rae Meadows
PositiveLibrary JournalQuoting aptly from the poems of Marina Tsvetaeva and liberally slinging Russian vulgarities along with gymnastics lingo, Meadows (I Will Send Rain) captures the risks so recently headlined by Simone Biles and other champions in her fifth novel ... Gymnastics is the fourth actor in the plot, as malign forces darken Anya’s love of the sport. A haunting allusion to Stalin’s real-life daughter, Svetlana, indicates the deep research supporting the novel.
Natasha Pulley
PositiveLibrary JournalScientific research, KGB shenanigans, queer love, and the heartache of suffering children are just a few of the enriching intricacies Pulley traces with intelligent wit and confident narration. A gifted writer of well-drawn characters, Pulley has given the nuclear noir genre a fresh and stimulating take on Chernobyl-style terror.
Joseph Kanon
PositiveLibrary JournalA master stylist of concise yet eloquent writing, Kanon recreates the corrupt atmosphere of East Berlin in 1963, to riveting effect ... Kanon’s books are a gold mine for lovers of espionage. Here he tackles the morality of the humanitarian exchange of political prisoners, a program that filled East Germany’s coffers ... Kanon baits the hook with an early murder and adds seduction and betrayal to bring about the grim conclusion. Fans of Alan Furst and John le Carré will include Kanon as the third member of a Cold War troika.
Anna Pitoniak
RaveLibrary JournalReaders will gasp at revelations that resound with the truth of recent headlines ... Pitoniak, whose earlier novels deftly depicted the conflicted lives of young professionals, portrays Sofie’s challenges in bold yet sympathetic colors ... Viewers who followed the TV series The Americans will recognize and enjoy its thrilling hallmarks in this exciting novel about the erstwhile first couple.
Karen Cleveland
PositiveLibrary JournalCleveland weaves technology, motherhood, and spydom’s skullduggery into a taut, alluring web. Acclaimed for fiendishly clever plotting, she whips up the story to a breakneck pace, then rewards readers with a knockout ending.
Alexandra Lapierre, Trans. by Jeffrey Zuckerman
PositiveLibrary JournalThis novel by award-winning historical novelist Lapierre...was first published in French in 2016. The story integrates verbatim quotes with imagined conversations and settings. Realistic yet fantastical in its account of the audacious Maria, this is a rewarding rediscovery of a memorable woman.
Janet Fitch
PositiveLibrary JournalDespite the travails, our heroine reflects the genius of the Silver Age poets. Their works, personalities, and disagreements are examined as if through a jeweler\'s loupe. The story peaks when the Soviet New Economic Policy challenges Marina\'s faith to the fullest. Can she remain a revolutionist? ... Like a 19th-century avatar, Fitch gives a 360-degree view of the suffering caused by the Bolsheviks\' consolidation of power and tells a long and sweeping story without wasting a word.
