I picked this book out from an Audible 2-for-1 sale, and went into it a bit colder than perhaps I should have been. The basic premise is thus: Catherine the Great brought over a large community of Germans to farm Russia, now known as Ukraine. The communities were hard working and generationally insular, and though they spoke Russian, they considered themselves to be essentially German. More importantly, both the Russians and the Nazis considered them to be Germans. As WWII heated up, many of these families had to decide whether to be thrown off their lands and potentially sent to Siberian work camps by the Bears (Soviets), or to run back to Germany to be enlisted by the Wolves (Nazis). Clearly either way they chose, misery followed.
This historical fiction follows one such real-life family, the Martels, on their horrific path with the Wolves in hopes of eventually fleeing the Nazi state and heading West. Emil & Adeline initially flee with all their worldly possessions in a wagon with their two young sons supposedly under the protection of the Nazis in the dead of winter. Things go south from there, and the family is put through the most harrowing set of circumstances humans can undergo.
I don’t know if I am exhausted by stories “based on historical events,” or if the writing was just not nuanced in any real way, but this one just didn’t hit with me. It was interesting, but not compelling, and at times the coincidences just pushed the limits of credulity, despite the author being fervent that the events were laid out precisely as they occurred. The narrative was certainly straightforward, but came across as flat. I can see how some might be drawn to this story, and investing in seeing how everything turned out in the end for this poor family. For me, it just didn’t land, and I couldn’t wait to escape the torturous slog of the family’s march out of danger.