I was very excited when I got approved for an ARC of this book. I just saw a story on the news about Samantha Smith shortly before this popped up on my feed, so I knew I had to check it out. Samantha Smith was a remarkable and inspiring young woman. Her story is so fascinating and I'm glad that it is being told so well.

I am so glad Nelson wrote this book and spent so many years obsessed with this topic. I do normally prefer historical research to be done by those with a PhD in the discipline, Nelson does a wonderful job with her subject and I'm really glad this book exists. She tells the remarkable story of Samantha Smith, a girl whose story is lost to history due to her age and gender. In a time when young people are making themselves known on a more global platform than ever before, Samantha's story is all the more important to remember.

I'll be picking a copy of this up for my physical shelves.

Lena Nelson brings Samantha Smith, her charm, and her desire for peace to life in a powerful and poignant biography. Smith, whose 1982 letter to Yuri Andropov led to her trip to the Soviet Union, student exchanges between the two countries, and renewed peace talks in the late Cold War period. Nelson’s personal connection to Smith, plus her conversations with Samantha Smith’s mother Jane, add another level to this biography, and the personal ties make the book compelling and heartwarming. Nelson’s perspective from the other side of the Iron Curtain and her history with Smith make this book unique and valuable to the historical discourse around the Cold War. Samantha Smith’s story is inspiring, and Nelson’s book is incredibly readable, making this book great for readers of all levels. Nelson’s use of interviews and primary documents from Smith’s trip to the Soviet Union and her brief celebrity career add another personal element to the biography, and Nelson’s prose is clear, creative, and lifelike. She creates a wonderful and complimentary image of Samantha Smith, and Nelson’s admiration of Smith (both when she was a child and now as an adult) allows readers to feel kinship with the two women.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had no idea who was Samantha Smith. It was a pleasure getting to know her part in promoting peace between two countries. She was a remarkable young girl. I think the story telling of her life was done okay. There were parts that were a bit boring and others I wanted to know more about. Such as her classmates interactions . Overall, it was a sad but important lesson of a book.

A fascinating look at the 1980's era of the Cold War through the lens of both the subject, young American girl Samantha Smith, and the author, Lena Nelson, who was a young Soviet girl when Samantha embarked on her journey to try and create peace. Nelson makes this personal by sharing her own memories and feelings, as well as bringing some high level political analysis of what was happening in the world when two little girls were questioning the status quo. Its both heartbreaking and heartwarming to read about someone who deserves to be more than just a footnote in history.