Thursday, October 13, 2022

Book Review The Diamond Eye

 

Diamond Eye book cover
Imagine that you are a young woman in 1940's Russia.  You are a mother raising a young son alone as you work in a library and study to gain your degree.  You are forging along in everyday life when suddenly your country is invaded, and you are facing a world at war.  In this riveting novel, Kate Quinn gives a look into the life of Mila Pavlichenko, a young history student and mother who joins the Russian military and becomes a world-famous sniper.



I found this book to be very intriguing.  Mila is a young woman who married way too young when she found she was pregnant.  She is raising a young son and trying desperately to get a divorce from her older and emotionally abusive husband.  This is not easy in 1940's Russia.  She is a passionate history student and loves her studies.  Then Hitler invades the Ukraine and Russia, and she feels compelled to sign up to protect her homeland.  

Mila is a strong woman who does nothing partway.  When assigned the task as a sniper, she becomes the best and shoots over 300 of the enemy.  Her talents gain her fame, and she is sent on a good will tour of the United States where she befriends Eleanor Roosevelt.  This friendship and the dangers that come with it made this one of the best books I've read in a long time.   

The book is based on a true story and most of the people and many of the events really happened.  In the author's notes at the end of the book she details what parts were true (based on Mila's memoirs) and what parts she fictionalized.  I found this very interesting and would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, historical fiction and intrigue.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


9 comments:

  1. Sounds fascinating! I am a fan of WWII events and history. Amazing that this young woman became an expert sniper in service to her country. Thanks for telling me about this book, Mary Beth.

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  2. While this book may not be from my normal preferred genre, I have no doubt I would love learning about the real life of Mila Pavlichenko. Based on your review, I suspect I would have a great deal of admiration and respect for her.

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  3. Like Sylvestermouse, this genre isn’t my usual cup of tea, but I, too, think I would find her story fascinating and would admire her courage and commitment to defending her homeland against the Nazi invasion.

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  4. Oh, Mary Beth I just finished reading this book and it is so good! Her story is one of strength and determination for herself and her son. I loved that the book is generally about someone who actually lived this nightmare! Although it is classified as a novel (due to some of the author's imagination), it is a page turner that I could not put down. Great review!

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  5. Sounds like a very intriguing book - It's not my usual genre, but your review sure had me interested!

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  6. Your review sent me to the library to pick up this book. Looking forward to reading it this weekend. Thanks!

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  7. I love anything to do with history and WWll, this really sounds interesting. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary Bert.

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  8. What a fascinating story and intriguing book. Thank you for a very interesting review and your recommendation for this book.

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  9. I have read and enjoyed other novels by Kate Quinn. Thanks for the recommendation of this new book.

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