Sobornost

by Austin Wimberly

Sobornost is the story of one boy’s adoption and of three Russian mothers who are forced to make heartbreaking decisions for their children. Set in Yekaterinburg, Russia in the years after the collapse of communism, Sobornost examines adoption from both the adoptive and birth parent perspectives and explores the limits of family.

ebook

First published October 10, 2012

Reviews

[Adam Morel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It began, quite literally, with a word I had never heard of. By the time I put it down, it was a word I would never forget. By turns gritty and exquisite, Austin Wimberly's Sobornost takes us on a journey from America to post-communist Russia through the eyes of five people who will never meet - a young couple earnestly negotiating the complicated, yet beautiful world of international adoption and three Russian mothers faced with life's most wrenching decision. Mr. Wimberly's debut novel has a lyrical quality, yet he isn't afraid to trust the reader with the grim, often cruel reality of a process that is too often shackled by politics and distrust. A note of caution for the casual reader: The book changes perspectives quickly and often and it takes time for the characters to reach their full potential. The emotional investment all authors seek from their readers does come, however, and when it does, it comes deeply and with demands.

Don't look it up, let Mr. Wimberly teach you the true meaning of sobornost.

[Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several years ago some very good friends of mine adopted children from Russia. Until I read this novel I had knowledge of only a tiny fraction of what they experienced--emotionally, psychologically, logistically, and even financially--in order to adopt their precious children, two of whom are my godsons. Now, after having read this book, I feel I understand, and am more deeply connected, to this journey they undertook. Bravo to Mr. Wimberly for pouring into this novel the essence and emotions of his own family's adoption journey so that others might experience it. But the novel doesn't just trace one American family's adoption adventure. Wimberly also gives a realistic, believable and emotionally wrenching view into the culture of poverty, sadness and moral dilemma that many Russian women must suffer for there to be such a prevalent orphan and orphanage epidemic and industry. At the same time the story peers into the religious beliefs and experiences of the characters from both countries, and shows how these solemn elements shape their decisions and color their journeys. For me this was an important dimension to what might otherwise be an incomplete exploration of the adoption journey.

The characters of the story, both American and Russian, creep out of the pages as the story develops in a dynamic way, using both first person and third person narrative blended across two ultimately connected but separate stretches of time. The switch of perspectives and scenes keeps the story engaging and held this reader's attention as I loaded into my reading memory the journeys of the adopting couples as well as the various Russian mothers who for different reasons gave up their children for adoption. As I reluctantly read Sobornost's denouement--reluctantly because I knew the story was ending and I wasn't ready to say good-bye to all of the characters in this story, there in the end are sad, shocking and joyful surprises, as well as some emotional, thought-provoking, and plot-finishing details that I didn't know I would necessarily get out of the story's final pages.

I seriously recommend this novel to anyone either considering international adoption, or who is connected by family or friend to an adoption-enhanced family, as I am connected. You will thank yourself for having picked up this novel and once you put it down for the last time you will appreciate your family or friends' real-life adventures which this novel lovingly explores. You will also start to ponder the idea behind the book's title, what that concept means for the people in the story, and how it might connect you to their story and the lives of people around the world.

[Victoria Zigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an emotional but enjoyable read. My only issue with it was that I found it quite confusing trying to follow the different stories at first, though it got easier as I learned who was who.

[David N · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply affecting and haunting meditation on parenthood and the choices of innocent, desperate people. I was shocked by how much this book rocked me. I wish it were more prominent, I'm stunned.

[Lucie Ulrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed emotions where this book is concerned. While grammatically sound, (I found no glaring typos or other grammatical issues), I did struggled with the fact that I never really connected to any of the characters on an emotional level. The only scene that truly touched me was when Lyuba gave her child up for adoption. When Vera was attacked, I wanted to feel her pain and fear, but that didn’t happen.
While the writing is strong, I often found myself wondering who was speaking at the beginning of a chapter. Some chapter titles made it plain, while others didn’t. I was also a bit confused by the time-frame. In an early chapter, Elise is meeting her son, James’s, girlfriend, and in the next scene Elise and Paul aren’t married yet. This continues throughout the story, with James never having a voice of his own.
There were times the novel felt more like a “How to” book, or a “Travel Log” to me. I would love to have seen the author delve more deeply into the characters, and less into what they saw and did in Russia. I’m not suggesting he should have removed all the detail, but I did find myself skimming over sections that pulled me out of the story.
Mr. Wimberly obviously did a great deal of research, and I applaud him for that. But for me, it came down to simply not connecting with the characters.
I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.