The Bronze Horseman

Oh. My. Gosh. I happened to discover this book on Pinterest and had to get it after reading the synopsis and the heaps of good reviews. As previously mentioned, I love historical fiction - especially anything involving WWII - so I couldn't wait for this book to arrive. 

This novel begins on June 22, 1941, with Tatiana, her family, and so many other Russians listening to the horrifying radio announcement that German troops have attacked the Soviet Union. WWII was on in full force, and Tatiana's cramped but safe and stable life is suddenly upturned. It becomes even more uncertain when, by chance, she meets a handsome Red Army officer named Alexander. Little does Tatiana know that this man hides a huge secret that would have devastating consequences if revealed, or that meeting him will forever alter her life. 

Honestly,  this novel starts off quite slowly. There's a definite buildup as events unfold, which held my interest, but I was impatiently waiting for things to actually take off. At 637 pages and divided into four parts this is certainly a novel worthy of its name, and I found myself speeding through the first two sections, anxious to find out what would happen next. I became totally engrossed as the novel progressed and things picked up speed. Without spoiling too much, there's this constant question of if and when things will happen with Tatiana and Alexander, and the novel really takes off as the question is answered. Their budding romance, set against the backdrop of war-torn Russia, is both tragic and beautiful. I've read a few nonfiction works that detail what life in the Soviet Union was like during the war, and I think Simons did a wonderful job of accurately describing it in all of its horrifying and heartbreaking detail. For love to blossom amidst such tragedy and uncertainty is a testament to the human spirit, that even in the worst of circumstances hope can be found. The love between these two is so strong that it sustains them even in absolutely perilous situations, and it was such an emotional experience reading about it.

The horrors that Tatiana, Alexander, and their fellow Russians (or should I say comrades) endured was also extremely emotional. Though their experiences were fictional, so many Russians did suffer horribly as a result of the German invasion, especially Tatiana's city as Operation Barbarosa unfolded. Fighting over increasingly scarce food, eating questionable bread and other foods but not even caring because they were so hungry - and that's not even the worst. It's just so hard to imagine such despair and hardship, or how anyone could survive it. The fact that tiny, naive Tatiana managed to survive it was certainly a testament to the strength of her character. She lost pretty much everything and although she came close a few times, she never gave up. I think she pulled a lot of her strength from Alexander, who always believed in her and whose love sustained Tatiana and gave her something to hold onto. I think the same applied for Alexander, too. He came close to death a few times in battle, but Tatiana saved him - literally and figuratively. 

This is one of those novels that just got into my soul and stayed there. It's now one of my absolute favorite novels, along with the other two in the series. I would have liked more character development for the minor characters, but Tatiana and Alexander were brought to life for me. I felt their pain, cheered for them, and overall loved both characters. They weren't without their flaws, but that's what made them feel so real, so relatable. Alexander especially was just such a complex, fascinating character; the type of man most women dream about finding. I have to give major kudos to Paullina Simons, who obviously poured her heart into crafting this masterpiece. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Read this!