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hannicogood's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
One of the few books told from a child’s point of view that I really thought was done well. It shows Tina’s journey to age 16 in a ruined and rebuilding Estonian city with family turmoil in the background.
ja_reads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rhodaj's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This was my read the world selection for Estonia.
This is a coming of age story about Tiina, a girl growing up in Tartu, Estonia not long after WWII. The book follows Tiina from 1946 to 1962, with a couple of earlier sections about her parents and a couple later where she is reflecting on events of her life, including a big life changing one in her teenage years. This book tells of her family life (which is deteriorating), her city and events that go on, but from the periphery and from the perspective of a child/teenager.
The title of the book refers to a card game, which is fitting as cards contribute to a lot of the domestic turmoil that takes place in Tiina’s family.
I really liked this book. It had a distinctive writing style that I very much enjoyed, which often alluded to events and occurrences without actually coming out and stating them. It also had short chapters that captured snapshots of time. It has been described as being “like a family photo album reflected in the content and construction of the text”, which pretty much sums it up perfectly.
The translation is very good and the words flow seamlessly. I was caught up in Tiina’s world where life brings big changes, but not particularly happy ones. A very well written and haunting book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
This was my read the world selection for Estonia.
This is a coming of age story about Tiina, a girl growing up in Tartu, Estonia not long after WWII. The book follows Tiina from 1946 to 1962, with a couple of earlier sections about her parents and a couple later where she is reflecting on events of her life, including a big life changing one in her teenage years. This book tells of her family life (which is deteriorating), her city and events that go on, but from the periphery and from the perspective of a child/teenager.
The title of the book refers to a card game, which is fitting as cards contribute to a lot of the domestic turmoil that takes place in Tiina’s family.
I really liked this book. It had a distinctive writing style that I very much enjoyed, which often alluded to events and occurrences without actually coming out and stating them. It also had short chapters that captured snapshots of time. It has been described as being “like a family photo album reflected in the content and construction of the text”, which pretty much sums it up perfectly.
The translation is very good and the words flow seamlessly. I was caught up in Tiina’s world where life brings big changes, but not particularly happy ones. A very well written and haunting book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
elenasquareeyes's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the way the story was told. Chapters (if they could really be called that) were often only a few pages long. They each began with a year and they’re like a little snapshot into that period of the characters’ lives, especially at the beginning when there weren’t many chapters set in the same year. As the story progressed and Tiiana got older, you spend more time with her in each year, seeing how her life changes in small and big ways.
Burning Cities begins in 1941 when Tiiana’s parents Liisi and Peeter meet, after a few short chapters Tiiana is born in 1946 and then you follow her as she grows up to the year 1962. There are a few chapters set in the 1990s and 2010s throughout the book and as you’re never properly introduced to the narrator in those chapters, it takes a while to make the connections between them and Tiiana as a child.
A lot of things to do with the Second World War or how it was in Estonia before the war doesn’t really register in Tiiana’s every day life, especially when she’s a child. She knows that other children and adults don’t like the Russians but she’s not sure why and when she becomes friends with a Russian boy from the school next door to hers, she questions whether her father’s uncertainties about the friendship is because he’s a boy or because he’s Russian.
Tiiana is a well-written and believable child. She learns to observe people from a young age and is fascinated by books and how there’s apparently different eras that the adults talk about. She’s smart but also sheltered, because of her father’s job she never wants for anything unlike some of her fellow classmates. It’s the little things that make the city of Tartu a strong presence in the novel. It’s a place that’s being rebuilt but there’s so many parts of it that aren’t whole or are broken. This mirrors Tiiana’s parent’s relationship as they drift apart and attempt to hide things from Tiiana to no avail. As Tiiana gets older she becomes more outspoken but she’s still quiet young and naïve and, much like her parents, doesn’t talk about how she feels.
Burning Cities is a story of family secrets and tragedy told, through the most part, through the eyes of a child. It’s a well-written story that often paints a vivid picture, but it still has a hazy quality to it as much of it feels like a memory with some events or people more solid than others. It’s a book that pulls you in from the very beginning, with interesting characters and a haunting writing style.
Burning Cities begins in 1941 when Tiiana’s parents Liisi and Peeter meet, after a few short chapters Tiiana is born in 1946 and then you follow her as she grows up to the year 1962. There are a few chapters set in the 1990s and 2010s throughout the book and as you’re never properly introduced to the narrator in those chapters, it takes a while to make the connections between them and Tiiana as a child.
A lot of things to do with the Second World War or how it was in Estonia before the war doesn’t really register in Tiiana’s every day life, especially when she’s a child. She knows that other children and adults don’t like the Russians but she’s not sure why and when she becomes friends with a Russian boy from the school next door to hers, she questions whether her father’s uncertainties about the friendship is because he’s a boy or because he’s Russian.
Tiiana is a well-written and believable child. She learns to observe people from a young age and is fascinated by books and how there’s apparently different eras that the adults talk about. She’s smart but also sheltered, because of her father’s job she never wants for anything unlike some of her fellow classmates. It’s the little things that make the city of Tartu a strong presence in the novel. It’s a place that’s being rebuilt but there’s so many parts of it that aren’t whole or are broken. This mirrors Tiiana’s parent’s relationship as they drift apart and attempt to hide things from Tiiana to no avail. As Tiiana gets older she becomes more outspoken but she’s still quiet young and naïve and, much like her parents, doesn’t talk about how she feels.
Burning Cities is a story of family secrets and tragedy told, through the most part, through the eyes of a child. It’s a well-written story that often paints a vivid picture, but it still has a hazy quality to it as much of it feels like a memory with some events or people more solid than others. It’s a book that pulls you in from the very beginning, with interesting characters and a haunting writing style.
firstiteration's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
malinowy's review against another edition
5.0
This book is like a little gem. I had requested it because it sounded interesting and had a lot of elements (Estonia, 1950s and 1960s, plenty of history) that I found intriguing. However, for the first 50 or so pages I couldn't really get into the story. Then, the point of view shifts away from the couple in the beginning and to their daughter and the whole thing changes. I am not usually a fan of stories told from children's point of view, because they tend to be naivë or try to be too much. Here, the author avoids those pitfalls and Tiina, the daughter, has a very authentic voice, feels and sounds like a child, but still matures along the way. There were some small moments when I could see myself as a child there, doing the same thing, which also made me smile. This is a surprising story, because there is a lot of sorrow and even some despair, many things that are written between the lines, but there is a lot of happiness and good moments. It is a coming-of-age story, but it isn't cheesy. The chapters are short, glimpses into every day life during those times instead of a strongly developed plot that encompasses everything. It's like this was an album full of photographs turned into words. This was a wonderful and exquisite read. I don't often feel like rereading a book the moment I've finished it, but with this I had that feeling. This was so much more than I expected, and I am so glad about that.
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