Lost Souls of Leningrad offers a unique and important perspective of the Soviet side of World War II as well as primarily focusing on the starvation, death and famine that spread through the city of Leningrad during the war. This book does an amazing job at expressing the raw and brutal events that occurred, death is no stranger in this novel.

The main characters in this novel are Sofya and Yelena, a grandmother and granddaughter that are left alone in Leningrad while the rest of their loved ones are called away to various locations to fight off the impending German Army. The story tells of their survival, perseverance, bravery and tragedies during the two and a half year siege of Leningrad.

Reading the devastating and tragic events that unfold for this family during this time really pulls at your heart strings. The author does such an amazing job at detailing what daily life was like for the citizens of Leningrad, and it's heartbreaking. The characters are so inspiring. The only thing stopping me from giving this book a 5 star review is I felt as if the ending was a bit rushed.

A powerful retelling of the Leningrad siege during WW2, Lost Souls of Leningrad highlights a part of WW2 history we rarely see in WW2 literature. Really glad I received an ARC copy of this obviously well-researched book. The retelling started slow, focusing more on relationships than history. But I was drawn into the story of violinist Sofya Karavayeva and her teenage granddaughter, Yelana, who chose to stay in their beloved Leningrad when others escaped. Together they fought fiercely to survive the winter of 1941-42 when hundreds of thousands starved through the siege imposed by Nazi forces surrounding the city.

Lost Souls of Leningrad is an important reminder of the horrors of war and the impact on ordinary citizens, some of whom react honorably and others horribly. This is not an easy read due to graphic detail of the real impact of WW2 on the city's civilians. Thank you to Ms. Parry, She Writes Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The storyline behind this novel is a simple love story.. a passionate affair, an unrequited love finally consummated. However it is the arena and the events from WW2 that occurred there that make this book such a good read. The account of Leningrad in 1941 is startling, heartbreaking and an indication of how civilians have become so evidently disposable in warfare. Which makes this an important book to read, we appear to know little of how the war affected Russia and this is a gap that needs filling.

Lost Souls of Leningrad follows violinist Sofya Karavayeva and her teenage granddaughter, Yelena during the German invasion of Leningrad. The book started out slow but was worth sticking with it. I'm a big fan of WWII historical novels and this one does not disappoint. Thanks to Suzanne Parry, She Writes Press and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Highly recommended.

A solid storyline and a plot with much tension. I enjoyed this novel, though the beginning was too focused on romantic relationships for me.
I have found particularly interesting to learn about the blockade of Leningrad during WWII, and I realized that I did not know much at all about the horrid conditions the inhabitants lived in, in a winter of extreme cold.
The characters were very relatable, and their development very realistic.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

Wow. This was fantastically written, absolutely powerful story on survival during the Siege of Leningrad - a subject that's rarely approached in historical fiction. That the family not only survived their ordeal but ultimately thrived and that the author made this happen without the typical, overly sappy, far-fetched "happy-ish" endings that is somewhat common in the genre, was amazing.

Highly recommended for those who can't get enough historical fiction.

From January 1941-Summer of 1945, we follow the family of Sofya Karavayeva and her long time love Admiral Vasili Antonov.

Widowed Sofya is an accomplished violinist holding a first violin chair with the Leningrad Philharmonic. Once her son, Aleksandr, is arrested, she is demoted and goes on to play with Radio Committee Orchestra, a second tier orchestra. Playing with the orchestra, she is able to have small meals outside of the ration cards. With the Nazis closing in, how much longer will they be able to play? How will she and her granddaughter, Yelena survive the winter?

Yelena's mother leaves town after signing up for the Volunteer Corps. With communication into Leningrad out, she wonders if her mother has survived bombings and famine? With her father imprisoned, it's she and Sofya left to survive a war. A volunteer herself, she is traumatized after assisting with the evacuation of children. Her shining light is her beloved Pavel. Will their love abound through this terrible war?

Admiral Vasili helps Sofya as much as he can. But will it be enough? Recently a widower, will he and Sofya start their love affair over? What dark secret does Sofya have that involves him?

Famine, death, freezing temperatures, bombings.... You will experience so many different emotions throughout this book. I won't give it up, but I must say one part of the book totally shocked me and I pray that this type of thing didn't nor ever does happen in true life.

From laughter to tears, I felt this was overall a great book. I try not to give too much up in my blogs. In this way, the reader can feel all the emotions that I feel as I'm reading and have the same element of surprise that I had.