Description
Book SynopsisWriting the Siege of Leningrad tells of women's experiences keeping the city alive and functioning during the 900 day Siege of Leningrad. Utilizing the words and descriptions of these women, Cynthia Simmons and Nina Perlina tell the story of a previously overlooked section of the population.
Trade ReviewStands at the forefront of a new genre of historical literature that strips away the veneer of censorship and propaganda that so dominated historical works of the Soviet era to present a starker and more accurate portrait of Soviet life during World War II. This inspiring, often depressing, but intensely human portrait of suffering, deprivation, and survival stands as a monument to the resilience of the human spirit." —David M. Glantz, author of
The Siege of Leningrad 1941-1944: 900 Days of Terror"Indispensable for all who take an interest in Russia, its literature, the history of the twentieth century, and women's studies." —
Choice"As historian Richard Bidlack notes in his excellent introduction..., historical literature on the blockade has rarely attempted 'to define female perspectives on the siege and to trace those perspectives through a number of firsthand accounts.' [This] collection of diaries, memoirs, oral histories, and fiction, which focus on the 'small stories' of individual Leningrad women, seeks to fill this void." —
Women's Review of Books"The Siege of Leningrad contains some of the darkest history of World War II. The German Army, unable to complete a direct assault on the city, resorted to a 900-day blockade during which approximately a million civilians died. Most of the men and boys were sacrificed to the war effort, leaving mainly women and children to endure the horrors of extreme deprivation caused by the blockade.... In winter, most citizens lived without heat as temperatures fell to 40 degrees below zero. Grass and leaves, along with glue and anything leather, were the staples of their diet, as all dogs and cats had long ago been eaten. Cannibalism saved many from starving. A very touching account of these women's remarkable accomplishments." —
Library Journal
