Fiction

Alexander Karpenko is a teenager in late 1960s Leningrad. His father is murdered by the KGB for trying to start a trade union, so Alexander and his mother escape on a cargo ship. But there are two ships available during the window of time when they can escape, so they flip a coin to decide which one to hide on.

From this point on, the story splits. Alexander, now called Sasha, and his mother get on the ship to England; Alexander, now called Alex, and his mother flee to America. Their various stories are split by chapter, as we get to see how the young man's life is altered by his circumstances.

I'm fascinated!

(FYI - I read All The Devils Are Here last week. I enjoy the Inspector Gamache books, but this one was a little darker than usual. And I read The Evening And The Morning the week before. I love all of the Pillars Of The Earth books, which I guess are now refered to as the Kingsbridge Series. I get a lot of great recommendations from the Fiction Group!)