The research that went into this book is tremendous. I learned so much about a time period I’ve actually studied for teaching elementary and junior high level history. I enjoyed the little bits of sarcasm, and jabs at various characters throughout the book. 

Unfortunately the author’s language choice made the book tedious to read. It feels very much like she abused her thesaurus. Why use clear, concise language when you can use big words improperly to muddle your meaning? A wide vocabulary should enable a writer to be more clear in her communication, but in this instance it makes her intentions unclear and her story less accessible. 

I actually enjoyed this book for the most part. It took an old and familiar story and made it new and exciting with characters I knew little about. 

This is my least favorite of the series, but still such a beautiful collection of stories. Great books to read if you need a dose of hope

This book has a split timeline with multiple narrators.  The author does a great job of weaving the 2 storylines together, using first person perspective for multiple characters, but it could definitely be confusing if you have a hard time keeping that straight. I enjoy the split timeline and didn’t have difficulty figuring out where and when I was, even in audio because the present narrator has an American accent and the past tense narrators have British accents. All 3 narrators are fantastic.   The theme of women protecting and helping one another was powerful throughout the story  incredibly engaging. 

The best thing I can say is, it was fine. The story moved quickly to begin with and then so many intertwined storylines just kind of tapered out.  

This book is so good. Backman gently explores grief through the eyes of a precocious 7 year old and the stories and fairy tales her grandmother told her. This story is so captivating and touching. The lines between reality and dreams are blurred and sometimes confusing, but isn’t that the way of life? I loved every minute of it. 

Wow. So much information that I’d like to dive deeper into. But the graphic novel medium is a truly accessible yet fascinating  way to get an overview of Putin.