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Taiga
World War II has erupted, rending families with flurries of draft papers. A Russian woman and her father flee into the forest, seeking escape. But there are holes in the world, and horrors beyond anything at the front.
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2014
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 2, 2025
The taiga setting was both freeing and constrictive. Ludmilla’s home was in a small village on the edge of it. She formed many fond memories there. But the landscape lacked variation. One place resembled another, and with a short lapse of concentration, it’s easy to get lost.
Another view of the taiga setting was that it’s a place where you can lose yourself. In this story, there were folktales about people, even in groups, disappearing into the taiga never to return.
When Ludmilla’s dad, Gleb, was drafted to join the war in Russia 1941, people were initially surprised as he was “too old” for army service. Nevertheless, go he must.
Before his departure he takes one last hike in the taiga with Ludmilla. Is he chasing memories to sustain himself for the atrocities that will surely come, or might he just happen to get lost?
What happens next goes beyond all expectations and made for good reading. The tempo shifted quickly. It had me thinking about the situations in the context of life. It was sad but also pumping. I couldn’t quite decide what I wanted to happen. But Sheffield chose well and I was happy with the ending. Clever work. Excellent descriptions. A good build up with the heart rate increasing until the very end.
Another view of the taiga setting was that it’s a place where you can lose yourself. In this story, there were folktales about people, even in groups, disappearing into the taiga never to return.
When Ludmilla’s dad, Gleb, was drafted to join the war in Russia 1941, people were initially surprised as he was “too old” for army service. Nevertheless, go he must.
Before his departure he takes one last hike in the taiga with Ludmilla. Is he chasing memories to sustain himself for the atrocities that will surely come, or might he just happen to get lost?
What happens next goes beyond all expectations and made for good reading. The tempo shifted quickly. It had me thinking about the situations in the context of life. It was sad but also pumping. I couldn’t quite decide what I wanted to happen. But Sheffield chose well and I was happy with the ending. Clever work. Excellent descriptions. A good build up with the heart rate increasing until the very end.
Displaying 1 of 1 review