During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel to use in his daughter’s wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible. By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men.
Another title that is not my usual fare, but I’ve been using my time cooped up at home to catch up on books that have been recommended by coworkers over the years. City of Thieves is a terrific book that proves you don’t have to write 500 pages to have real depth. I was intrigued by how Benioff managed to describe the characters enduring terrible hardship and the worst of one of the most brutal battles in history, but the book doesn’t read as grim or overly depressing. That’s not to say that there isn’t real drama, horror and sadness, but the natural humor of the characters keeps it from being just another book about the horrors of war.
Review by Leslie Mortimer, Adult Services Manager.
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