Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Child 44 is a book I never would have picked up on my own. It's this month's book club selection. When I began reading it, I had no knowledge of what I might be getting into or even what the book was about. The first chapter turned my stomach, painting a picture of starvation, bitter cold and fear in 1933 Russia. Honestly, I thought I was headed for a twisted version of The Hunger Games.
But I hung in there. The story fast forwards twenty years. Leo is a rising star in the MGB, the state security force. He's assigned to look into the death of child, whose family insists he was murdered. The communist state brushes the child's death off as an accident. Leo is a war hero, who loves his country, is loyal and follows the state party line. His wife Raisa, is a teacher who goes along with the state as a way to survive. When Leo discovers that a serial killer is on the loose, he and Raisa go against the state and set out to find the criminal.
Child 44 is full of twists and turns. It's a page turner, so be prepared. What struck me the most however, is the range of emotion that this story could evoke. The evil torture of the government on its citizens disgusted me. The cunning of a killer toward children made me cringe. And the tenderness of the love story between Leo and Raisa, brought tears to my eyes.
What a book can make me feel is the gauge I use to rate a story. After the first ten pages, I never thought I could make it through this book. Since it's so rare that I don't finish a book, I kept going. Child 44 is a wonderfully written thriller. The story's "Ah Hah" moment is perfectly placed, releasing some of the tension, but not revealing all the answers the reader is anxious to learn. Mr. Smith's writing style is superb. The subject matter, Stalinist Russia, is a tough one especially for someone like me, who has always lived in a free society. Child 44 opened my eyes to the reality of life in a communist state in the 1950's.
And that's what I love about book club. I'm forced to go outside my comfort zone and learn something new, which is a good thing.
Child 44 is a book I never would have picked up on my own. It's this month's book club selection. When I began reading it, I had no knowledge of what I might be getting into or even what the book was about. The first chapter turned my stomach, painting a picture of starvation, bitter cold and fear in 1933 Russia. Honestly, I thought I was headed for a twisted version of The Hunger Games.
But I hung in there. The story fast forwards twenty years. Leo is a rising star in the MGB, the state security force. He's assigned to look into the death of child, whose family insists he was murdered. The communist state brushes the child's death off as an accident. Leo is a war hero, who loves his country, is loyal and follows the state party line. His wife Raisa, is a teacher who goes along with the state as a way to survive. When Leo discovers that a serial killer is on the loose, he and Raisa go against the state and set out to find the criminal.
Child 44 is full of twists and turns. It's a page turner, so be prepared. What struck me the most however, is the range of emotion that this story could evoke. The evil torture of the government on its citizens disgusted me. The cunning of a killer toward children made me cringe. And the tenderness of the love story between Leo and Raisa, brought tears to my eyes.
What a book can make me feel is the gauge I use to rate a story. After the first ten pages, I never thought I could make it through this book. Since it's so rare that I don't finish a book, I kept going. Child 44 is a wonderfully written thriller. The story's "Ah Hah" moment is perfectly placed, releasing some of the tension, but not revealing all the answers the reader is anxious to learn. Mr. Smith's writing style is superb. The subject matter, Stalinist Russia, is a tough one especially for someone like me, who has always lived in a free society. Child 44 opened my eyes to the reality of life in a communist state in the 1950's.
And that's what I love about book club. I'm forced to go outside my comfort zone and learn something new, which is a good thing.
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