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alismcg's review against another edition
4.0
For those troubled by multiple timelines and more convoluted stories with hosts of characters, likely this particular book will not be for you.
For those with any historical interest in Milly Bennett’s journalistic writings or Western emigration of the 1920s and 30s due to inequality — as told in Julia Mickenberg’s “American Girls in Red Russia” — “The Patriots” may satisfy your HF leanings.
The setting alters in slight shifts but for the greater expanse of story spills out with color and dimension into Stalin’s Soviet Union / Putin’s Russia during the 1930s , 1950s and 2008 as Krasikov weaves and connects her telling of 3 generations of American Jewish expats.
Historical info and politics which Krasikov does share re. conditions in Soviet Union fully supported by research of prior NF reads on the era. A foul sort of bitterness for American politics — especially under FDR’s Presidency — (moves me to ahha ! , hmm and scratch my head wishing to delve a bit deeper... ). Such unravellings always delight the rat terrier who paws and scratches within my mind.
A bit more heavily weighted on the ‘too descriptive’ in the fiction /romance element of the story for my personal preference. That always steals from a story for me when tints of a writer’s indiscretions seep through. minus 1 ⭐️
For those with any historical interest in Milly Bennett’s journalistic writings or Western emigration of the 1920s and 30s due to inequality — as told in Julia Mickenberg’s “American Girls in Red Russia” — “The Patriots” may satisfy your HF leanings.
The setting alters in slight shifts but for the greater expanse of story spills out with color and dimension into Stalin’s Soviet Union / Putin’s Russia during the 1930s , 1950s and 2008 as Krasikov weaves and connects her telling of 3 generations of American Jewish expats.
Historical info and politics which Krasikov does share re. conditions in Soviet Union fully supported by research of prior NF reads on the era. A foul sort of bitterness for American politics — especially under FDR’s Presidency — (moves me to ahha ! , hmm and scratch my head wishing to delve a bit deeper... ). Such unravellings always delight the rat terrier who paws and scratches within my mind.
A bit more heavily weighted on the ‘too descriptive’ in the fiction /romance element of the story for my personal preference. That always steals from a story for me when tints of a writer’s indiscretions seep through. minus 1 ⭐️
bookishjenx's review against another edition
3.0
Quite enjoyed this as my splurge on Russian reading continues! I did have to skip the scenes with Florence’s son as I found them excruciatingly boring. However, I adore Florence and loved her story.
flogigyahoo's review against another edition
4.0
The Patriots by Sana Krasikov is a brilliant, complicated and long novel about the steps some Americans took early in the 1930's to live in a country seemingly of the future, idealistic, intelligent and free. Krasikov follows Florence Fein, a Jewish girl who travels to Russia to see by herself the realism of living in the Soviet Union, raising a family, working, being Jewish, but once there is very, very disappointed. She does indeed marry and have a son, but life in the Soviet Union during WWII is difficult and afterwards even worse. Krasikov's descriptions of life for Florence and her husband in Moscow is sad and of life in the Camps in Siberia simply heartbreaking. I cannot recommend this book although I myself liked it frequently, but just as frequently could not understand why the author had included certain sections--unless you are sincerely attached to large, commodious novels and the Soviet Union.
meaganc108's review against another edition
2.0
I had really high hopes for this. It didn't live up.
First off, I think it was far too long and didn't really know where to focus this attention. From the blurb I was expecting an element of intrigue and suspense but every time I thought the story would get going it just stopped. I was interested in Florence's story and thought the idea that her son would be searching through her sealed records to find answers would be really interesting but it took nearly 300 pages for this informer element to even come in and even then it was lacklustre. Her son doesn't even seem to be looking very hard for her records and then he just seems to get distracted with his own son and doesn't even get the records until 400 odd pages in.
It's not what I was expecting. Maybe it's just that I was expecting something different based on the description but I really don't think this lived up to the potential it had.
First off, I think it was far too long and didn't really know where to focus this attention. From the blurb I was expecting an element of intrigue and suspense but every time I thought the story would get going it just stopped. I was interested in Florence's story and thought the idea that her son would be searching through her sealed records to find answers would be really interesting but it took nearly 300 pages for this informer element to even come in and even then it was lacklustre. Her son doesn't even seem to be looking very hard for her records and then he just seems to get distracted with his own son and doesn't even get the records until 400 odd pages in.
It's not what I was expecting. Maybe it's just that I was expecting something different based on the description but I really don't think this lived up to the potential it had.
lgmelcher's review against another edition
4.0
If you are looking for a book about what motivates people to make seemingly illogical choices, this will be a great read. I was both challenged and entertained by this multi-generational tale about Americans who emigrated to the Soviet Union before WWII, and their children who came back to America decades later. It taught me about the fate of Americans whose citizenship was summarily dismissed as a political maneuver, which was fascinating. As much as I enjoyed it, I felt certain parts dragged without an ultimate payoff, and I was irritated by historical inaccuracies like the description of a mourner at a funeral playing tunes from Fiddler on the Roof, which was written 20 years after the funeral in the book takes place. All in all, I did enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical fiction about the Soviet Union or Russian-American political relations. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
nicoleh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The plot of the book sounded really interesting to me, but I worried after reading some other reviews that the book would be slow and boring. But it was the opposite for me! Once the plot started to get going, it was hard for me to put down. I found Florence to be a great main character, flaws and all. I liked that she made mistakes in her life, and reading through them and her thoughts was my favorite parts of the book. I did find some of the chapters taking place in the 2000’s a little slow, especially the parts related to a business deal, so I kind of skimmed those sections which really didn’t affect my understanding of anything else in the book.
I also think it’s a good book generally to know what life was like in 30-50’s Soviet Union, a time and place I don’t think is often represented in books.
I also think it’s a good book generally to know what life was like in 30-50’s Soviet Union, a time and place I don’t think is often represented in books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion and Antisemitism
Minor: Medical content
anneaustex's review against another edition
3.0
While I admire the scope and the subject matter of this book I did not particularly enjoy reading it. I think the author did a masterful job of telling this really big and important story about Stalinist Russia through the eyes of an immigrant family of multiple generations. It was sad to see the idealistic dreams of the young Florence be shattered by the realities of her new life. To follow her son Julian as his dreams failed to match realities. Then young Lenny, who loved his grandmother with steadfast devotion, began to learn the true story of her life and the way she kept it all so guarded.
Despite the chapter headings with dates, I found it somewhat difficult to follow the story line through the war years and into modern day. Add to that it was told from different characters' perspectives requiring the reader to stay really actively engaged to know who the story was following and when.
I think Sana Krasikov is a brilliant writer and storyteller, this just wasn't a perfect book for me and I realize I am in the very small minority with that opinion.
Despite the chapter headings with dates, I found it somewhat difficult to follow the story line through the war years and into modern day. Add to that it was told from different characters' perspectives requiring the reader to stay really actively engaged to know who the story was following and when.
I think Sana Krasikov is a brilliant writer and storyteller, this just wasn't a perfect book for me and I realize I am in the very small minority with that opinion.
adw531's review against another edition
DNF. Loved the first third and then lost interest.
bookwormbecks's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I originally described this book as a multigenerational saga spanning 1930s New York to Cold War Russia. Now that I’ve finished the book, I’d say it’s more like great historical fiction about communist Russia with some modern day thrown in. I’m having lots of mixed feelings as I try to sum up my thoughts. I didn’t like the book, but I did love the story of Florence. Florence is an American who leaves her family in the 1930s to live in Russia. She’s a socialist and feels like there is little for her in Depression era America. Russia seemed full of hope at the time but as we know, that quickly changed as WW2 was looming in the near future. Florence is a force. She does what she needs to do to survive and her story was fascinating. Interspersed throughout is modern day, well 2008, and I found it hard to follow, bogging down the overall story. I think a more concise approach to that line would’ve worked better for me. I did love the ending!
I originally described this book as a multigenerational saga spanning 1930s New York to Cold War Russia. Now that I’ve finished the book, I’d say it’s more like great historical fiction about communist Russia with some modern day thrown in. I’m having lots of mixed feelings as I try to sum up my thoughts. I didn’t like the book, but I did love the story of Florence. Florence is an American who leaves her family in the 1930s to live in Russia. She’s a socialist and feels like there is little for her in Depression era America. Russia seemed full of hope at the time but as we know, that quickly changed as WW2 was looming in the near future. Florence is a force. She does what she needs to do to survive and her story was fascinating. Interspersed throughout is modern day, well 2008, and I found it hard to follow, bogging down the overall story. I think a more concise approach to that line would’ve worked better for me. I did love the ending!
rezelazny's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings on this one. While historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, I had yet to read a book about this plot point-an American who choose to immigrate to Soviet Russia. It seemed so backwards to me, and something I definitely wanted to learn more about. Florence had felt let down by the America she had been born and raised in. It was post WWI and she was captivated by the revolution in Russia. Florence decides to leave her American family and become a revolutionary in Russia. It is then that her story takes a dark turn as Russia enters the dark Stalin era. The book alternates between Florence's story and her son Julian's story-which is basically present day. I felt like this book dragged and I would struggle to read even 20 pages at night. I very much cared for the characters, but the descriptions and plot moved very, very slow. There are still parts of Florence's story that I am not sure belong to what piece of the puzzle of her life. Overall I would give this work a try if you are looking for a different view of Russia during the Stalin regime. Thank you Penguin First to Read and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this work.