Only 144 pages but they are devastating. I cannot praise this stark, powerful, stunning debut tale enough. It is set in Leningrad in 1941 when the Germans surrounded the city cutting off all supplies. The siege lasted three years killing hundreds of thousands of people. We follow a group of scientists at the Institute of Plant Industry who have pledged to protect their collection of rare seeds and I’ll tell you no more than that. You have to read this.
Set during Hitlers siege of Leningrad, Elise Blackwells beautiful debut novel is the deeply moving story of one mans confrontation with his own morality. A scientist, but a man of powerful personal appetites, unexpectedly finds himself with a choice that is informed too much by his private hungers. The danger he faces is betraying not only the woman he loves but also the principles he holds most dear.
