WWII historical fiction is always heartbreaking. There are so many horrors in war. This book is well-researched. The characters felt real. I learned so much about the life of Soviet female soldiers and historical facts surrounding Berlin. I also liked the reference to sparrows. Definitely a new author for my TBR list.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

This was a fascinating read about the Red Army’s female snipers during WW2. The author does an outstanding job bringing this time period to life including difficult situations that these women dealt with in the army unit. The tremedous research and character development made this book feel very authentic. I did not know a lot about these women as they fought against Germany and put their lives at risk. A fascinating read!

I feel like this was a Red Army, female POV version of Kristin Hannah’s, The Women.

Another telling of how women have constantly been taken advantage of and used for the male benefit, but never given the credit they deserve.

Parts of this book were atrocious, horrific and unfortunately known facts of this era. The most unfortunate part though is I feel this isn’t a “common knowledge” topic.

At times, this book felt one-note and a bit flat, though overall, I truly believe it’s an important POV and story to tell. The quotes at the beginnings of the chapters were also an eye-opening touch.

There’s parts of this book that should make you wretch. They may not be the most gruesome, but definitely the most haunting and raw:
“For every Jew killed, they receive forty pounds of salt, a liter of kerosene, and twenty boxes of matches.”
“Marsha’s absence was a presence.”
“It only takes a second to die.”

I have read many books on this horrific era of WWII, the displaced women who fought back when Hitler invaded Russia. I am no stranger to the horrors that those people who lived through this war endured, often losing every family member and friend they ever had—entire lives undone by a tyrannical nut bag bent on world domination.

The setting was so real that I could almost feel the terror, the tears, and the horror Elena faced. I applaud her decision to retaliate and join the Russian sniper unit for women. The sheer magnitude of the horrors these poor souls had to face almost overwhelmed me. At other times, I was jubilant at the guts and gumption these women faced against difficult odds.

I even had tears in my eyes one night; the writing was so honest, poignant, and realistic that I had to put the book down so I could sleep.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII history, as seen through the eyes of Elena or any other woman who gave of herself to better the future for her people.

I gave this story five stars because the empathy I felt for these characters and the lives they must have endured kept me reading until sleep calmed my troubled mind. A book rarely evokes such a response from me. As a history major, I am constantly amazed at how much more there is to learn about this dark historical period.

Please give it a go. But have the tissues ready, along with a pot of tea.

I want to thank Net Galley, the author, and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this as a free ARC. This review is voluntary and is mine alone.

This book was not a cozy read. It was uncomfortable many times. The author gives you an idea what it was like for young ladies during the war as Soviet Citizens. You also saw the battle between personal identities as Jewish AND being a loyal citizen of the Motherland (Soviet Union). If you tried to call attention to the atrocities against JEWS, you could get in trouble for pointing out that specific instead of calling them Soviet Citizens. The soviet women were called FrontLine Wives and forced to have sexual relations with the soldiers--and if they survived the war, they were called War Whores by the women at home. Many of them entered simply for survival purposes. They were told they were "as good as a man" but then not recognized for their equal contributions.

This focused on the challenges of seeing your comrades blown to bits right next to you. The emotional trauma of killing. Learning how to numb yourself.

It simply showed how terrible war was and is to the soul. Also showed the Jewish persecution for all Jews regardless of citizenship. Also the anti-Semitic towards the Jews by the Soviets. Dooming them to repeats of what Hitler inflicted--but by their own country.

It's not a gentle read. There is swearing. Violence. And the mention of rape. It's not pretty. But it's done with just enough of a sideline view to not be completely in your face.

The book also went back and forth to the lead characters experiences at the beginning of her war time then jumps to "current" which is near the end of her war experience. It uses the past to bring her to where she currently is.

4Stars for the way the topic was presented.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARc of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

Shelly Sanders’ “The Night Sparrow” is an intense historical fiction novel that brings real characters to life. The book was spine-chilling, shedding light on the horrors of war that I had no idea existed. It was also fascinating to learn about the courageous female snipers in WWII. Highly recommend.

This book was chilling. I knew that WWII was a horrible war. This book described the things that were done to innocent people that made me want to cry.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book

This was a really well done historical fiction novel, it had that gripping element that I was looking for and was engaged with the way the characters worked in this time-period. Shelly Sanders has a strong concept for this type of book and the characters were realistically done. It was interesting to learn about the female snipers in this and was engaged with the story.