Author: Julie Mayhew
Genre: realistic/literary fiction
Similar books: Trail of Crumbs by Lisa J Lawrence
Miles Away from You by A. B. Rutledge Rating:
 |
| a lot going on |
Summary (provided by publisher): On the day she brings her sweet little sister, Nika, to school for the first time, eighteen-year-old Darya has already been taking care of her family for years. But a joyous September morning shifts in an instant when Darya’s rural Russian town is attacked by terrorists. While Darya manages to escape, Nika is one of hundreds of children taken hostage in the school in what stretches to a three-day siege and ends in violence. In the confusion and horror that follow, Darya and her family frantically scour hospitals and survivor lists in hopes that Nika has somehow survived. And as journalists and foreign aid workers descend on her small town, Darya is caught in the grip of grief and trauma, trying to recover her life and wondering if there is any hope for her future. From acclaimed author Julie Mayhew comes a difficult but powerful narrative about pain, purpose, and healing in the wake of senseless terror.
My opinion: Be prepared going into this book: it's a long, dense read. And culturally hard to grasp. Russian culture feels especially foreign. Layer on grief and the youthful desire for change and it's a busy plot. Darya is just post high school. She's at a natural transition point. Tragedy derails her attempts to figure out her future. All of her life redefines itself as viewed through a changed lens. Its at this point that the plot shifts, taking her to the city. So the plot is not only about grief, it's about a relative innocent faced with the cruelty and impersonal nature of life in the city. She's used and manipulated, all the while trying to figure out the kind of person she wants to become. These transitions between location and focus were a bit jarring. Foreknowledge of Russian culture and/or the patience for repeat reading would go a long way to understanding the full depth of this book.
More information: Mother Tongue releases August 13.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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