This was informative and I learned a lot. I just don't think I would read this one again. But it was worth at least one read.

In 1942 a young woman who is a clerk at the NKVD is asked to become a spy. The NKVD wants her to infiltrate the "Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia" (RLA) that had been founded by General Vlassov who after being captured had gone over to the German side. He was in the process of visiting POW camps and convincing the captured soldiers to join his army which was to be trained to fight against the Red Army. Many who joined did it just to get out of the POW camps.

Sonja Rasumova had worked in the Soviet Embassy in Berlin and therefore spoke almost perfect German. Her cover would be to join the RLA, and report back to Moscow on the German's plans for the RLA. Sonja ends up being hired to be the translator for Vlassov himself and is therefore right in the middle of the "traitors" nest. But before the RLA can be put into the field, the Eastern Front collapses and the Germans are left with a lot of Russians they now have only propaganda usages for. Sonja reports to her NKVD handler but more and more realizes that she has begun to sympathize with the RLA.

As Berlin comes into heavy bombing and the German Army continues to retreat she realized that she and all of the friends she has made with RLA will all be treated as traitors and eliminated by the Red Army if caught.

Don't judge a book by its cover.
It's a cliche, but I didn't heed it.
This historical fiction book turned up in my Nonfiction category.
I loved the cover.
I skimmed the description and requested the book.

I only read nonfiction, so I was surprised/disappointed when it was clear from the first chapter that this was a novel.
This is my fault because had I read the description more carefully, I would have read this sentence:

"Though the activities of Sonja Rasumowa are entirely fictitious, the story of Wlassow’s Russian Liberation Army is a factual one."

Perhaps the publisher misclassified this book in the nonfiction category.

I enjoyed the first chapter but stopped because I had a pile of nonfiction books I wanted to read.
If you love historical war fiction, this should be perfect!

An highly enjoyable read! The story will grab and hold your interest. The characters are well done and you can picture yourself in the middle of the story. A great read for all.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.