A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Danya
"Tatiana and Alexander" picks up the epic love story of Alexander Barrington and Tatiana Metanova during 1940s Russia and America, picking up where "The Bronze Horseman" left off. Alexander's parents moved to the Soviet Union in 1930, wanting to live the Communist dream. Alexander Barrington remade himself into Alexander Belov as a means of surviving the political turmoil besetting the Soviet Union during the 1930s and 1940s. Now, Alex faces questioning and imprisonment by the country that he has served and Tatiana has escaped to America, forced to create a life for herself and their son, alone. Only their passionate love for each other keeps them moving forward, dreaming of a day when they can be together. But fate conspires to keep them apart, and Alexander must fight to survive, day to day, never knowing if he will live to see another morning. Tatiana has been told that Alex is dead but she refuses to believe this, constantly watching for his face, his name, any sign that he is still alive.
"Tatiana and Alexander" is an epic novel that is probably better read with "The Bronze Horseman" than alone, but still contains enough of the back story to be enjoyable as a read alone. While mainly a story about two lovers caught in world events, the book examines World War II from behind Russian lines and showcases the political mindset behind the struggle towards Communism and Russia's treatment of captured soldiers. While initially overwhelming in size, the book moves back and forth in this couple's life, making this a fascinating read. Paullina Simons is a name to watch in the field of sweeping sagas and enthralling epics.
Aug 23, 2010 | 9780061987465
5 = Rare - Top Pick | 4.5 = I Loved It - Top Pick | 4 = Good Solid Read
3.5 = Enjoyable | 3 Stars = OK - Needs a few changes | 2 Stars = It just didn't click / DNF
Book Blurb for Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel
The epic saga of love and war continues—the heart-stopping sequel to Paullina Simons's beloved international bestseller The Bronze Horseman.
Tatiana is eighteen years old, pregnant, and widowed when she escapes war-torn Leningrad to find a new life in America. But the ghosts of her past do not rest easily. She becomes consumed by the belief that her husband, Red Army officer Alexander Belov, is still alive and needs her desperately.
Meanwhile, oceans and continents away in the Soviet Union, Alexander barely escapes execution, and is forced to lead a battalion of soldiers considered expendable by the Soviet high command. Yet Alexander is determined to take his men through the ruins of Europe in one last desperate bid to escape Stalin's death machine and somehow find his way to Tatiana once again.
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