This is an immersive and informative story of the serfs in mid 19th century Russia and the wealthy land owners. These two disparate classes come into conflict and face many challenges when the Tsar emancipates the serfs. I loved the characters, the writing, the plot. Such a wonderful book. I went on to read the rest of the books Jane Marlow wrote. I will read anything by this author.

An absolute page-turner, which is such a rare observation for a reader to make about a heavily historical book! Had a blast reading this one. I feel like it was the right one to pick when I was in the mood for a book of this particular genre. Truly unique.

It’s the mid 1800s in Russia when Tsar Nocholas I is on his throne. The vast countryside is living on agriculture and kettles. During those times, the nobility was owning all the land, and the serfs that were living on their property would cultivate grain and other crop for the nobleman and for their families as well. The serfs would belong to the noble family and in turn the noble family would be responsible for their prosperity and good health. The serfs were peasants with hardly enough education to go by. The whole family would work the land and animals if any and they would live by the preaching of the Church.

Two serfs, Elizaveta and Feodor are friends since childhood. The one’s parents are the godparents of the other, which in the eyes of the Church makes them siblings. So, falling in love with each other a a bog sin, but this is what happens and they cannot control it. They are not allowed to celebrate their love though, because it is forbidden. So they are separated, but they never forget each other. Elizaveta, as a woman, has so little freedom to rule her life. She must obey her husband, provide him with children, never refuse his bed, work the land, have no possessions and no opinion. She is the main voice of the book, so we get to see first handed what all the above really mean. Life doesn’t do justice to her, as it didn’t do for many other women of her era and many other serfs as well. She is forced into an unwanted married, never really being asked for her concession to what would be the rest of her life. Her husband is a man that feels he has to reform her when she does something he doesn’t agree with. He is always right and according to the rules of the time, he has every right to do it.

The other voice of the book is that of Count Maximov, the nobleman of the estate. He has a big family but he feels lonely. His wife, Sophia was not been herself after the loss of a child. He just wants his wife back, but he only get’s glimpses of her. These are the worst, because he is reminded of the old times, and their relationship in the past and that is then taken from him so abruptly when Sophia returns to her new self. His other big issue is with his son Anton, who has a weird relationship with his mother. And as he grows up he becomes more of a pain for his father, as he is not even the slightest of responsible person as his brother is. He always creates problems and difficult situations and he is often in a need of help and support. The last of Count Maximov’s problems is the emancipation of the serfs that comes in when Tsar Alexander takes the reins of the country. This becomes a problem for both the Count and the serfs.

The story is a wonderful depiction of the country at those years. It gives a very clear picture of the struggles people would have at the time, as well as how every day life was. This is how most of the countries in Europe where during those times and Russia was only following Europe’s example when freeing the serfs. However, the perspective the people had in the 19th century was very much in accordance to the preaching of the Church and social standards.

Overall, this was a wonderful story and I so blame myself for not having read it earlier!

This was beautifully done, the narrative painted a picture and I enjoyed learning the two stories heritage. It was a joy to read and I liked the characters.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Set in 1800's Russia. From the blurb, "Elizaveta and Feodor, torn apart by their own families and the Church while simultaneously trapped in the inhumane life of poverty to which they were born. "

Quite a saga. Superstitions and old wives tale's ran rampant and was scattered throughout the story. I look forward to reading the next book.

3.25☆

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Received this book from Net Galley,about a time in Russian history! You learn so much about this period of time on what the people had to endure to just be able to live! You not only have the government ruling your life but here we go don't forget about the Church having a say! The characters in this book you feel so much of what they are going the and how they had to live their lives. Not all good! Loved the story and love to read these kind of books this is the second book I have read on the struggles of Russian people from this author!🙈🙉🙊

very interesting historical fiction that is wonderfully written with unexpected little moments -the riddles! i was not expected those and they did add quite something to the story overall! If you are interested in russia and want a nice historical fiction, give this a try!

This book definitely stays true to its Russian roots; which leaves me work mixed feelings.
On the one hand, the characters had were complex, the protagonist was easy to root for, and the book was well-written. On the other hand, the ending was extremely abrupt. Often the endings are sudden in the Russian literature I have read, however there is usually symbolism or foreshadowing or other literary devices that, at least subconsciously, prepare the reader for the book to end. This just felt like a few chapters were missing.
This is very much a "life is hard and then you die" book, with very little to help the reader feel that there is meaning in the struggle or even in the story.

Set in Russia during the time period of 1840 through 1865, this novel brings to life the everyday, intertwined lives of one family of the Russian nobility and several families of their serfs.

Stephan Maximov is a loving husband and father who must oversee the workings of his estate during a period of great social upheaval. In addition, Maximov also tries to deal with his wife’s depression as well as with one son who leads an indolent existence.

The lives of the serfs are extremely difficult, leaving them with a sense of hopelessness. Elizaveta is a beautiful young girl who falls in love with her childhood sweetheart, Feodor. But the laws of the Church and the government interfere with their plans.

This beautifully written novel will pull you in as you become involved with the characters’ lives and the real sense of place that is evoked. It’s hard to put this book down. Anyone interested in Russian history would find this book a window into a long lost time and place.
Thank you to Net Galley and author Jane Marlow for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this fascinating novel.

I normally find books like this quite heavy so that's why I wanted to read it to see if it was any different and I am pleased to say it was! I loved that it spanned the decades and you found that the more you read the characters became more real. A really good book. Thankyou for changing my mind.

This story is about Russian serfs and the nobility in the mid-1800s just prior to the ending of serfdom. The brutality and harshness of the lives lead by peasants is contrasted with the privileged lives of the nobility. The book seemed well researched on the customs and laws of the time. The story follows two main families over a 25 year period. The character development was good and the story line held my interest.

I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley

Who is to Blame? by Jane Marlow is definitely a worthwhile read, but it isn't a light or easy one. I found the novel to be so very realistic in its depiction of the brutal and often hopeless lives of the serfs tied to Count Maximov's land.

Often in novels, the main character -for instance, the outspoken, idealistic young girl who has dreams of spending the rest of her life with the love of her life -- actually gets their happy ending. This is not the case in Who is to Blame? This novel is stark and almost too realistic in the depiction of the lives of the serfs. But it does a great job of presenting realism instead of a fantasy version of a historical period.

Even the lives of the privileged aristocrats such as the Maximov family have their own problems -- mostly due to arrogance and expecting that everything should go their way, but still there are legitimate problems. The family stresses are the main issues for Maximov - his wife never really recovers from the loss of one of her children and they grow distant; one of his sons lives a life of debauchery and deception and Count Maximov struggles to make his land profitable. The problems of a wealthy class stand in stark contrast to the day to day struggle for survival and simple human dignity of the serfs, which the Maximovs consider to be nothing more than property.

I was drawn into the story and was really interested in how things would play out, but I quickly realized that this was going to be a thought-provoking book - not just entertainment. Working out who is to blame and how to fix the problems are much harder tasks than we are often led to believe. I really appreciated that Marlow didn't try to sugar-coat things. Sometimes we readers need to tackle difficult topics and ideas. Anyone interested in realistic historical fiction - especially dealing with Russian history - and isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects, will enjoy reading and pondering Who is to Blame?

Thank you to NetGalley and River Grove Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me quite some time to review this book because I needed to process how I felt about it. Some of the narration and characters were a bit too flat and non-dimensional for me but I absolutely loved all the riddles distributed throughout and some of the thoughtful ideas about class and various perspectives between nobility and serfs. A decent read.

I found this fascinatingly timeless: "Ignorant people invent stories to excite their fears all the further . . . . The peasants' horizons are so narrow and their outlook so constrained, they'll believe any story any fool dreams up."

have finally read this novel, which i thoroughly enjoyed. I have always enjoyed Russian history, ever since my school days. There isn't much that I can add to this review that hasn't been said already. This is a book that I shall be reading again one day.

I absolutely loved this novel! The writer beautifully captures life in Russia at both ends of the social spectrum. My heart broke for the young peasent couple who yearned to be married but whose parents chose different partners for them, and how their lives ultimately played out. At the other end of the scale is the Count and his family, whose own lives have been touched by tragedy. The story follows his struggles to deal with his serfs and also to wrangle his wayward son. Deeply fascinating reading, the characters are easy to fall in love with and I found myself being swept along by their stories. Highly recommended. Thank you so much to netgalley.com for the free copy for review!

An amazingly written piece of art. Jane Marlow takes us to the nineteenth century Russia and is capable of depicting the disconnections between the aristocracy and the common folk in such a captivating way. Another huge plus is her way of writing. She fairly knows how to combine a compelling storyline with historical facts without the loss of accuracy. I really enjoyed reading the novel.

I found this novel of daily life in 19th century Russia absorbing and affecting. The daily struggles of Elisaveta and her families, and the struggles of the Maximovs at the other end of the rural social spectrum are a contrast that highlights the time and place in a way that purely factual books struggle to, by adding the human element. It's well written and the characters are well-developed.

With perspectives from both sides of the class divide this book centers on a dramatic period in Russian history, as serfdom was being abolished and the oppressed poor were, at least in theory, gaining freedom. I found the dual narratives very effective and found reasons to empathise with many of the characters. Elisaveta, a young woman forbidden by church and custom from marrying her true love is forced into the arms of a cruel and brutal man, while never giving up on her true love. Count Maximov seeks to be progressive and improve life for his own family as well as his serfs, but is hampered by the failure of his marriage following the death of a child. His son Anton grows up to be a selfish , callous man, who will lie, cheat and steal to save his own skin. As the lives and fates of these characters cross paths, an engaging story unfolds that will linger with the reader. The writer does not shy away from the harsh brutality of Russian life, especially for the serfs, and really brings the hardship and misery to life on the page, but gives us a character in Elisaveta who never gives up hope.

Provides an inspired Glimpse into Russia during the Great Reforms- a great read
Having read a few other reviews of this book I noted with interest that many reviewers had studied Russian History and Literature at University. I'm the same. The period of Russian History from mid-nineteenth century to the Revolutions of 1917 has always held great interest to me. As has the Literature of the period.
There is little I can add to that which has already been said by others about Jane Marlow's novel except to confirm its excellence. It is structured and reads as a work of Russian Literature and does not disappoint. It serves to educate on the lot of Russian Serfs and emphasises the bond that the land held to this impoverished segment of society which formed the bulk of the country's population.
Perhaps I could just add one thought which is that the inability of the Serfs to unify into an effective lobbying group comes across well in Jane Marlow's novel. Their freedom in a sense came from the top down not the other way round as one might have expected. This flaw would cost them dearly in the decades following the Revolution(s).
Marlow narrates the story through the medium of individual Serf and Noble families in the same geographic area. She selects a noble family which is as conscious of its dues to the Serfs as it is of those owed by the Serfs to them. They are as bewildered by the Emancipation as their Serfs.
A wonderful story of Russian Society at the time leading up to and beyond the Emancipation.