A brilliant and moving debut novel about one woman's struggle to preserve an artistic heritage from the horrors and destruction of World War II, and the ensuing lifelong memories from this extraordinary experience. In this extraordinary first novel by Debra Dean, the siege of Leningrad by German troops in World War II is echoed by the destructive siege against the mind and memory of an elderly Russian woman. Marina, the woman in question, was a guide at Leningrad's famous Hermitage Museum. In the late ...
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A brilliant and moving debut novel about one woman's struggle to preserve an artistic heritage from the horrors and destruction of World War II, and the ensuing lifelong memories from this extraordinary experience. In this extraordinary first novel by Debra Dean, the siege of Leningrad by German troops in World War II is echoed by the destructive siege against the mind and memory of an elderly Russian woman. Marina, the woman in question, was a guide at Leningrad's famous Hermitage Museum. In the late autumn of 1941, as the Luftwaffe roared over and around Leningrad, she and her colleagues were set the task of taking the thousands of priceless paintings, sculptures and obj???ts d'art out of the grand galleries of the former Tsarist Palace and storing them safely against the German bombardment and seemingly inevitable invasion. The German assault threatened to destroy a large part of Europe's artistic history: if Leningrad fell to the Germans, everything that was not destroyed would be looted and given to the Nazis. Marina, whose own parents had disappeared during Stalin's persecution of intellectuals in the 1930s, clings to her hope of becoming an art historian through her job at the Hermitage. The novel shifts between Marina's experiences at the Hermitage during the siege of Leningrad and her current existence as a very old lady in America whose mind has begun to fray. Debra Dean depicts, with subtle skill, how Marina's mind, already ravaged by disease, picks up some incident, object or person at the wedding she's been brought to, and flips back to the dreadful year-and-a-half in Leningrad which has informed her life ever since.
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Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2006 by William Morrow & Company.
Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
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Pages and cover are intact. Used book in good and clean conditions. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks.
Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
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This item is fairly worn, but continues to work perfectly. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn corners, bends, tears, small stains, and partial water damage. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing, if applicable. Pages may include excessive notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $1.04, good condition, Sold by Jenson Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Logan, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
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This item shows signs of wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact, but may have aesthetic issues such as small tears, bends, scratches, and scuffs. Spine may also show signs of wear. Pages may include some notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $1.14, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $1.14, fair condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
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Add this copy of The Madonnas of Leningrad: a Novel to cart. $1.17, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Harper Perennial.
The book was slow, and really couldn't retain my interest.
Phyllis B
Nov 7, 2013
Not my Favorite Book
The used book arrived in very good condition. I am very happy about that!!! But, the story did not not make me happy to read the book. I think the intent was to tell the readers about the horrors of the 2nd World War and the horrors of Dementia. I know both of these horrors from hearing about and living with both of them. I would not recommend this book unless the reader does not already know about the 2d World War or Dementia.
laughingcat
Apr 18, 2009
Eye-opening
I just finished this wonderful book about the siege of Leningrad in the 1940s that was a real eye opener. I had no idea that they suffered so much in WWII. The starvation was beyond belief. The main character was given a pine branch to eat (from some soldiers) and she was so happy. She ate the whole branch, including bark and needles. They even boiled some needles to make a broth-y soup for the family. I can't imagine that. They didn't even fear the bombs that fell. They could barely stand up from their emaciated state. People died every day and their wasn't enough wood left to build the simplest coffins. It always gives me new perspective.
MLE59
Apr 10, 2008
So-so...
I know this is a "hot" book club read. I don't understand the attraction. It is nicely written, but not particularly impressive. The action moves back and forth through time, something I found very annoying (although in Those Who Saved Us - which I loved - that movement of setting back and forth through time wasn't an issue for me). There were not any characters who I felt drawn to. I have traveled to Russia several times and didn't even feel drawn to the setting. Certainly, it was set during a horrific time and the challenges of survival were unstinting. Somehow, I just could get involved with it. The book just left me very sanguine. If I hadn't a club meeting coming up, I would not have finished it.
