On the Sickle's Edge

by Neville Frankel

This is an alternate cover edition - ISBN 10: 1944884106


What we cannot keep. What we cannot lose.

A sweeping masterwork of love and loss, secrets and survival, On the Sickle's Edge is told through the voices of three characters who lay bare their family's saga: the endearing, scrappy South-African born Lena, transported to Latvia and later trapped in the USSR; her granddaughter Darya, a true Communist whose growing disillusionment with Soviet ideology places her family at mortal risk; and Steven, a painter from Boston who inadvertently stumbles into the tangled web of his family's past. Against the roiling backdrop of twentieth-century Russia and Eastern Europe, the novel delivers equal parts historical drama, political thriller and poignant love story.

On the Sickle's Edge takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through some of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. Instantly immersed in seven generations of the Shtein family, we witness their exhilarating celebrations and provocative controversies, and gain an intimate understanding of the pivotal events in South Africa, Latvia and the Soviet Union. Neville Frankel's ability to combine historical insight and human passion is spellbinding. I couldn't put it down.
--Pamela Katz, The Partnership: Brecht, Weill, Three Women, and Germany on the Brink

In the hands of a masterful storyteller, On the Sickle's Edge pits the weight of an oppressive regime against individual tenacity and profound personal courage. Inspired by Frankel's own family history, this multi-generational epic holds up a mirror to a universal truth: all immigrants face the powerful tension between assimilation and cultural identity. We have--all of us--lived life on the edge of the sickle.
--Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

474 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2016

About the author

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Neville Frankel immigrated to Boston with his family when he was 14. After graduating from Dartmouth College, he pursued doctoral work in English literature at the University of Toronto. While in Canada, he wrote The Third Power, a well-reviewed political thriller about the transformation of Rhodesia to Zimbabwe.

He also received an Emmy for his work on a BBC documentary, The Hillside Strangler: Mind of a Murderer. In 2002 he returned to South Africa for the first time in 38 years. Over the next decade he went back several more times, researching what would become Bloodlines.

When he's not writing, Frankel works as a financial planner and was included in Boston Magazine's 2010 list of Top Scoring Wealth Managers in the Boston Area. He also has a keen passion for painting. Frankel has three grown children and lives outside Boston with his wife Marlene.

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the 20th century and spanning generations, On the Sickle's Edge chronicles a Jewish family's struggle to survive in Soviet Russia. Lena Shtein, born in South Africa of Latvian parents, suffers her first loss at birth. Following the death of her mother delivering twins, Lena's father divides his family, leaving his two older sons behind in South Africa, and travels back to Latvia with his three younger children. Neville Frankel has written a compelling novel - part saga, part historical fiction, and part thriller - as the family endures the persecution associated with their faith, and makes the decisions necessary for them to survive.

What an amazing book! Frankel is a master story-teller, with vivid imagery and nail-biting suspense. The historical aspect of this novel would have been enough to keep me interested, but the story about Lena's granddaughter, Darya, and her violent KGB husband kept me up late reading every night. I'd like to thank TLC Book Tours for allowing me to read and review this excellent novel. I am only asked to provide an honest review and here it is: go out and buy this book, it's fantastic!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up far too late to finish this novel in anticipation of hearing the author speak tomorrow. It was well worth the loss of sleep. This historical fiction novel tells the story of life in Russia and the USSR spanning four generations. A compelling and interesting read, I learned a lot and enjoyed the characters immensely.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strengthening the bonds of Family... "Suspense... Powerful and thought provoking.... Horrifyingly accurate.... History may hide the truth, but it can never fully erase the past."
On the Sickle's Edge follows the history of the Shtein family. We follow them from Latvia, to South Africa, back to Latvia and beyond. As we intertwine through the lives of the three main protagonists, Lena, Darya and Steven, the story and history of this family bind them together stronger than most. Secrets that could tear the family apart are lurking beneath the surface, but stronger still is the will to survive, persevere and overcome.
As tensions mount in the USSR, one man is desperate to do whatever he has to to keep his family safe. Having already deserted the army, and left the country, Issak Shtein is no stranger to the ups and downs that life can bring. He arrived in South Africa looking for his brother, only to find that his brother had passed away shortly before he arrived. Saving money and bringing the rest of his family to South Africa, he does his best to make a decent living and provide for his growing family. After the death of his wife in childbirth, Issak makes the fateful decision to take most of his children, leave South Africa and return to Russia. There he can find another wife, and then return to his two sons. But he cannot foretell the horrors which are fixing to be unleashed throughout the world, and the best of intentions soon turn to disappointments. As the world erupts into war, their small village is razed to the ground, and Issak, Esther and their children are on the move. They are doing their best to stay out view of the soldiers. As they travel through the countryside, Esther and Issak are at odds as to the best way to proceed. They know they must get to Moscow as they will have the best chance to find work. By working they can save the money they need to get back to South Africa, and the two young boys that were left behind. Esther knows that they must hide the fact that they are Jewish if they wish to find good jobs, and have a chance at a better life. But even this is not enough to keep them completely out of harms way. Having already lost one child soon after returning to Latvia, Issak is about to lose another. As they are attacked one afternoon by young men from the village they just left, Avrom who was only six years old, does his best to defend his step-mother, but in the process, he is killed. While the family mourns his loss, no one feels it more than Lena. Avrom and Lena were twins. They were brought into the world in joy and sorrow, and they were parted in the same way. As Lena grows up in Moscow, she is withdrawn and adrift. Her stepmother notices and takes her with her to the library every afternoon. There she sees a painting, one that will stay with her throughout her entire life. As she grows, she remains faithful to the Ivanov. In the shadow of this painting, she meets the man who will become her husband. As the years pass, things do not get easier, but now the fear is that one will disappear. Everyone has been affected by the sudden arrests, but when it happens to Lena she falls apart. After Vasily, she floats through her days, to the detriment of her young daughter. Klara leaves home as soon as she can and gets a job far away from where her mother is. Lena keeps herself thrown into work, and she travels quite a bit with the railway job that she has. After returning from one of her trips, she gets a message that she needs to go to the Youth Ministry. Once she arrives, she finds that her daughter and son in law were killed in an explosion at the munition plant where they worked. Lena is now responsible for her young granddaughter Darya. As Darya grows, she follows the strict Communist party line that has been taught and pounded in their heads from childhood. As she becomes a young woman, she is noticed by Grigory Yanov. While he comes across as charming, Lena dislikes him immediately and tries to get Darya to forget him. However, its to late. Grigory has gotten to her. Darya likes the lifestyle that he can give her, but he is far from being the charmer that he portrays. He enjoys the slow torture, the mind games where one never knows exactly where they stand with him. Darya thinks that she has outsmarted him throughout the many years of their marriage, and has been questioning the lines that she is feeding to the rest of the world on her travels. She begins to listen to the dissenters, and imagine what might be. When she meets her distant cousin Steven, she dares to love him, knowing that she is putting herself and her children in terrible danger. Without knowing it, she has walked into the trap that Grigory was waiting for, and now he is ready to spring, and he knows exactly which buttons to push.Steven is reeling from the first blushes of love that he is feeling. After his first visit to Russia, he cannot get Darya out of his mind. They meet when they can in secluded places during her travels, but he dreams of more more. He wants more from her, but she is not free to give it. He is content for a while to take what she offers.When he gets a frantic letter begging for help, he knows that he cannot just leave her to whatever fate her husband might have in store for her. So he heads off to Russia for a final confrontation that has no certain ending....
Oh my goodness! What can I say!? I was blown away with this book! At a time when many families were torn apart, one family stood together, no matter the amount of distance that came between them. It is a story of hope, survival and renewal. Love and loss. Grief. Diving into a subject that for so long has been hidden. Neville Frankel brings life to the characters, lifting their story from more than just words on a page. Add this to your summer must read list! It will not disappoint! **Recommend for adult audience due to some graphic scenes in the book**

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...

On the Sickle's Edge is a multigenerational saga by Neville Frankel that chronicles the story of a Jewish family through the rise and fall of the former Soviet Union. The story of the Shtein family spans many decades and three continents, and provides a glimpse into how ordinary people lived through turbulent periods of history.

The story focuses on three main protagonists. There's Lena, born in South Africa but transplanted to Russia via Latvia. Her father perseveres through tragedy and persecution, eventually settling in Moscow and hiding the family's Jewish identity to try to provide Lena and her cousins/stepsisters with a better life. Lena comes of age and finds her first love in Stalinist Russia, and lives through heartbreak again and again. Lena is a survivor, and grows into a tough old woman.

Her granddaughter Darya is a stalwart communist, until Lena reveals her Jewish identity. It forces Darya to question everything she's believed, but by the point that she realizes that she no longer agrees with the Party, it's too late--she's already trapped in an abusive marriage to a sadistic KGB agent, and bears two children. But On the Sickle's Edge isn't just a story of tragedy, it's a story of hope and new beginnings.

Steven is painter from Boston. He's a distant relative, descended from Lena's brother who was left behind by their father in South Africa. When Steven discovers that his father has been exchanging letters with long-lost relatives in Russia, he finds a part of himself he hadn't realized was there. And because Russia is gradually starting to open up to Westerners, he decides to go for a visit, where he experiences a ton of culture shock as he realizes the fear that his relatives have to live with every day. And when Stephen meets Darya, it's love at first sight.

When I first heard about On the Sickle's Edge, I knew I had to read it. I've always had a thing for Russian history/culture/literature/etc., and even majored in it in undergrad. So first impressions--don't judge this one by its cover. I know that the cover is a very relevant scene in the book (Ivanov's painting was an inspiration to Lena right after she moved to Russia, and helped her to heal and begin her new life), but if I had judged this book by its cover, I probably would never have picked it up in the first place. But once you start reading, you'll be sucked into the story. It's so fast paced that I read it in two sittings, despite it being almost 500 pages long. It's that good.

I particularly loved seeing how Lena's character evolved. When I studied in Russia, one of the first pieces of advice that I was given was not to trust the cops, because they are probably corrupt, but in the event of trouble, find a babushka. Little old ladies in Eastern Europe have been through so much, and they are a force to be reckoned with. And by the end of On the Sickle's Edge, Lena is a total badass grandma who is ruthlessly protective of the people she cares about, and it's amazing. The fact that she grows old and that the narrative switches to the next generation does not mean that she stops being relevant to the story.

On the Sickle's Edge is particularly powerful because it highlights the impact that global/political events have on real people, who often have no way of knowing what's going to happen next or how badly they'll be affected. And sometimes that impact isn't just from policy, but also the interplay between political and domestic realms, as in Darya's situation, where the corruption within the system destroyed her opportunities to get away from her abuser.

Reading On the Sickle's Edge was more than a little bit terrifying because of today's political uncertainty, and I will say that it did not do good things for my anxiety. It's the kind of book that reminds you not to take anything for granted, and to realize how lucky you are and to hold your loved ones close. But despite the book's darker content, it is ultimately a story of hope and resilience, and of the power of family. Although parts of the book were difficult for me to handle, a book that can make you feel so deeply is doing something right.

Verdict: Highly recommended.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"On the Sickle's Edge" is a story told in three parts about one extended family whose lives are driven by the Soviet Union. It either tears them apart or pushes them together throughout the book. There is Lena, whose family is torn apart when they leave South Africa for the USSR in the early 1900s. There is Darya, Lena's granddaughter, who is firmly entrenched in the government and living at a time when the Soviet dream is starting to fray. Steven is the great great nephew of Lena and knows nothing of his family living in the USSR as he and his father feel all alone in the United States after leaving South Africa. Spanning almost 100 years, this is a vast family saga that was interesting all the way through in different ways.

The first part of the book feels like a great historical novel. We see how Lena's family left South Africa and how they first went to Latvia before going to the USSR. They are Jewish and like so many people during that time, they had to come up with a whole new background to hide their origins and this imagining of other roots sets off some of the action surrounding Steven having difficulty tracing his family in the future. I loved the detail in this section of the book and almost felt like I wanted more as the book jumps between years (wanting more is always a good sign when a book already stands at almost 450 pages). Lena is such a great character.

Darya and Steven's section of the book almost feel a little bit more like a political thriller. Darya and her husband are deeply involved with the government and her husband is especially so to the point where he is scary. Darya's section of the book shows how she got to where she is by the time that Steven's part of the story picks up.

The beginning and end of the book do seem a little disjointed and make the book feel like multiple books at once but it works. It works because you care about this family and you want to see them through. The writing of the book is good. The author is agile enough to successfully pull off a more traditional historical fiction feel and the thriller feel that you get by the end of the book. Because the book covers so much time, it gives you a good sense of not only the arc of this particular family but the arc of the USSR/ Russia itself. The mirroring is really interesting! This is the kind of book that you get lost in as it takes you on a fantastic ride!

[Minette · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a Sickle’s Edge by Neville D Frankel
How do I describe this well written, interesting book? I think all of these genres would sum it up perfectly: historical, political thriller and love story. It is set mostly in the Soviet Union and is the story of a family whose Jewish identity is concealed as they seek to survive the aftermath of the Czar’s fall in Russia.

Inspired by Neville Frankel's personal family history, On the Sickle's Edge is a multi-generational Jewish family saga, told through the voices of three characters.
The book follows three generations of the same family, trapped in the USSR. Lena, born in South Africa and brought back to Russia, only to find herself stuck there. Darya, Lena’s granddaughter and a true believer in Communism who is becoming disillusioned with the system she loves. Steven, a Boston painter who learns about his family in Russia he didn’t know existed untill the age of 16. And along the way we meet the rest of the family.

It is a fascinating picture of life under Communism, the hardships endured, the oppression and fear experienced, and the love shared within this family.

This beautifully written and captivating story drew me in from the very first page and didn’t let me go until the end….and then I was sorry that it was over. Though well over 400 pages, the book is a fast read and feels like one is reading non fiction. I would award it 4 stars for content, I found the ending a little bit weak so 5 for enjoyment

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written, clearly well researched, and thought provoking novel. I was hooked right from the start and even though this is almost 500 pages, this book never released its claws.

This story was an intense story of love, loss, poverty, sacrifice, and what we would do for those we love. This is the first book I have read about the USSR and I found it both fascinating and terrifying. I felt like I was there, in the thick of it with Lena and Darya. The choices they were forced to make were horrible and I can’t imagine living like that. I give my complete respect for all those who suffered such horrible fates.

I absolutely loved Lena. She was such a strong and capable woman and she endured so much in her life. She never seemed to quite understand how much strength she truly had, but she was always humble and I loved that about her. She was given a tough lot in life and she just kept her head down and endured. I learned so much from her story and I hope to be a little more like Lena.

Recommendation: This story is one that can’t be missed. I would recommend this to anyone. Those who love history would especially enjoy this read. This is the first book I have read by Neville D. Frankel but this will certainly not be the last.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.*

[Jaina Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

Okay, first, full disclosure: there is no way on earth that I would have finished reading On the Sickle's Edge if it weren't for the fact that I hadn't promised to review it for a TLC book tour. As it is, I wound up skipping in the second half. It's not that the book is poorly written, because it actually grabs the attention very well for an over 400-page historical novel. I've always been fascinated by the horrors of life under the USSR regime (in part because they're given far too little attention in literature due to WWII), and the actual story of this increasingly-growing Jewish family hiding in plain sight in Moscow is gripping and very meaningful for me to read. My favorite point-of-view was Lena's, because she had the most dramatic and fascinating life of all three of the main characters. Also, most of the drama Darya and Steven faced was self-inflicted; Lena was the true innocent of the story, the girl whose life was ripped away from her by the cruelty of the USSR dictatorship.

So . . . what happened? Why did I almost put On the Sickle's Edge down, and why did I finish it with a sour taste in my mouth? I think a lot of my distaste for the book boils down to the fact that it's an adult novel, and I very much prefer middle-grade and young-adult books. I forgot, in my excitement about this book's topic, that so many fictional adult books have way more graphic content than I'm used to. And I'm not talking about violence–there was that too, of course, but that was to be expected. No, I'm talking about sex. For one thing, all three characters are way to easy about it; Steven is particularly promiscuous. I could still mostly forgive the book for its characters' loose morals, excusing them away as accurate depictions of the way people in their situations behaved, but what I can't be okay with are the graphic sex scenes (including ones between distant cousins–still kind of ew!) that are sprinkled into the text. I have no desire to read content like that, so I did my best to skip over them and plow through in honor of my pledge to review the book. When the author started throwing important dialogue pieces into the middle of those scenes, though, that's when I got really frustrated and started skipping pages to just get through the book already. There's some horrible stuff in there, including several times where Darya's husband clearly rapes her, and I just don't want to read that!

Call me a baby if you want, but that's how I feel. I don't have much more to say about the book, besides the fact that it's so complex and historically significant that more liberal readers than I will probably love it. Oh, and also that Darya's husband was so evil I actually found him very unrealistic. Were there men like him in the USSR? Maybe, but it seems strange that he never showed even the slightest sign of humanity or weakness–ever.

Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this book, so maybe you will like it more than I did. If you've read the description, and what I've described doesn't turn you off, then try On the Sickle's Edge for yourself. Be sure to comment below with your thoughts once you've finished it!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this novel for the purpose of participating in a TLC Book Tour.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book that had a fairly slow start. The book follows the history of three main characters: Lena (great-grandmother), Darya (grand-daughter) and Steven (a missing cousin). The build-up is a little more of a meandering story giving the history of the each individual characters within the context of the historical changes in the USSR. It is fascinating to see how things unfold, the decisions that people are forced to make and then how the political climate drove the decisions for survival.

As someone who doesn’t know very much about the internal workings of Russia, I found this extremely interesting both within the story and historically. It is hefty, so it’s a commitment, but I believe it is worth the time to become invested with the characters.

Warning: Contains sexual content and violence.

Who should read it? Anyone with interest in history and would enjoy a family sweeping multiple generations.

[SOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional read. This is the benefit of Goodreads giveaways. I probably would never have bought this book if I saw it in a bookstore, but Goodreads, through their giveaway program, allowed me to win it. Once won, I felt obligated to read it. I'm so glad I did.

I'll wrote more of this review when it's not three in the morning. For now, I'll say that this is a book worthy of your time and effort.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It took forever to arrive, and when it did, it was in a torn and tattered envelope. Luckily, the book managed to remain unharmed. I'm thrilled it was intact so that I could enjoy getting to know each and every character and receive a decent education in Russian history. I now understand a bit better what my grandparents faced in their youth, and what, thankfully, they missed when they made their way to the United StAtes.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allow time when you start On The Sickle's Edge because you won't be able to put it down. Frankel amazingly weaves 3 themes into one cohesive narrative. The reader will find a rich and troubling story of the Jewish struggle in northeastern Europe (Latvia), love stories over several generations, and a political thriller about dissidents in the Soviet Union. All of these elements combine with great attention to detail, providing the reader with vivid images of both people and places. Obviously well researched and well written, this gem will linger in one's thoughts, leaving you to ponder how you would have acted when confronted with the challenges facing Frankel's characters. An unforgettable read.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

How nice to actually really enjoy a book club book! The characters are rich and complete, and they covered 6 generations starting in (one of those Eastern Bloc countries that I will remember the name of when I don't need to…), and ending in Boston. And the representation presented of the USSR appeared to be well balanced and complete. There were definitely the good side presented as well as the corruption and total misery. The people who lived there were torn between "loving it and making do" and resenting the oppression of a society that is nominally fair for all but actually far from!
Actually, the epilogue is an extremely good conclusion and way of tying things up! What a good book!

[Delia Valente · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book because it is a a family saga, but other than that... I should say it's 30% not true (and you can check most of the facts in Wikipedia), 30% is OK, and 30% is true. Readers should keep in mind it is a NOVEL, many facts are not historic and many facts are just something that the author wants you to believe in. I would not recommend it to either Americans or former Soviet citizens as to Americans it doesn't show the real pictures of the life in the Soviet Union, especially in Moscow, the capital city. To many former citizens it might be offensive ...

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intricately woven, multigenerational journey spanning more than a century starting with two Jewish siblings in Latvia to South America to Russia/Soviet Union to America. Part of the family hides their Jewish roots to survive, yet these roots do not get lost. The reader lives the history and times of these countries, which can be dark, as the characters' stories are told, including intrigue in the latter part of the book. A good read.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story, worth at least 4 stars had it not been bogged down with too much description, too much sex, and too many details!
I won this book on Goodreads and I ALWAYS appreciate the chance to read and review new books!
I love historical novels, but this one just kept me hanging on...it didn't grab me the way some others do,

[Quiltmom14 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually a 2.5, this book started as a 5-star, with a fabulous telling of historical fiction. After part 3, however, it descended into a sappy romance story with lots of moist folds and smooth muscles. I know it still covered the chasm between the have and have-nots, but I thought the author completely lost his way. Pity.

[Quiltmom14 · Rating 3 out of 5]

First 2 sections of this book were really, really good - new understanding of WWII Russia. From the 3rd section on, the book sunk to a love story with cliched language...boring. I would have given the book 5 stars if it continued without the mush (topic and writing), and would have given it 2 stars when it turned in to a sappy romance so...3.5 is my average.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book!

[Conchita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, couldn’t put it down.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

This book is many things, and all of them awesome.

At its heart, if feels like a fictional history of the Soviet Union, but not as is usually done in historical fiction, from the perspective of the movers and shakers. Instead, this feels like a story set among the “groundlings”, as they were called in Shakespeare’s day. Or a “lower-decks” story set on a ship, whether historical or science fictional.

In other words, this is view of life in the Soviet Union from the Revolution to Glasnost, as seen through the eyes of the people it was supposed to benefit, and so obviously in this case, didn’t. It’s not a pretty story, but it is a powerful one.

And as people say about life during the Depression, the average person didn’t really see themselves as deprived. They knew things were awful, that was kind of hard to miss. And everyone was afraid all the time, afraid of being watched, afraid of their neighbors, afraid of their thoughts, afraid of the “Organs” of state.

But it was all they knew, and it was all they were allowed to know.

The story in On the Sickle’s Edge has another side to it. In the case of Lena and her family, in addition to all of the things that everyday Russians were afraid of, they were afraid of the exposure of their big secret.

When the family entered Moscow during the chaos of the Revolution, they entered under forged papers. Those papers stated that the family were Russian peasants, displaced from their farm by the Revolution, but that was a lie. A big one. Instead, they were displaced Jews expelled from Latvia. In an act of intelligence and courage, mixed with a bit of perhaps cowardice, but mostly pragmatism, Lena’s stepmother Esther decreed that because everything terrible that had happened to them, and it was terrible, had happened because they were Jews, they would take this equally terrible opportunity to reinvent themselves as non-Jews.

In an act of self-effacement and self-abnegation, they did. Conditions in post-Revolutionary Moscow were bad for everyone, but worse for the Jews. If things are bad in general, they are always worse for the Jews in particular. Esther’s act saved her family, especially her children and step-children, at least for a while.

So Lena keeps the secret. Along the way, she loses her husband and her half-sister to the insanity of Stalin’s purges, and late in life finds herself raising her daughter’s child, Darya. And she survives. Lena always survives.

Escape Rating A: I finished this at 3 am. It started out well, but somewhere around the 20% mark it completely grabbed me and didn’t let go until the end. Possibly after the end. I’m still thinking about this one. And probably will for a while.

Although Lena is not the only narrator, it was her story that sucked me in. And that is fitting, as the story is told at least in part as her memoir. A clue to her ultimate survival that the reader completely loses track of in the midst of events. I wanted her to make it out, but there were points where I feared it would not be so, even knowing that it was.

Her story, from a briefly happy childhood in South Africa to the family’s return to Latvia, to being trapped inside Russia as the walls closed down paints a compelling picture. We are there with her through all the long years as conditions go from bad to worse to unsustainable, and yet we also see what sustains her, and how she survives those long years.

Some of the story is her granddaughter Darya’s, as Darya learns the secret yet continues to wear the mask of the Communist Party poster girl, complete with marriage to a party official. Like so many young women who think they are in love, Darya doesn’t listen to her grandmother’s instincts that her husband is a monster. But he is.

(Something in the description of Darya’s husband reminded me of Vladimir Putin. I don’t know whether that was intentional or not, but it certainly added to the chill factor)

This was a wonderfully absorbing story, and there is so much more to it that I’m tempted to get into, but will reach much too far into spoiler territory. For me, On the Sickle’s Edge also contained an element of “there but for the grace of G-d”. My mother’s parents emigrated to the U.S. from Western Russia probably around the time that Lena was born. They got out just in time. But this story could have been theirs, with all the calamities that followed.

And the echoes to current events absolutely chill me to the bone.

[Tw · Rating 5 out of 5]

“On the Sickle’s Edge” contains sections, sometimes just sentences, that force you to stop and think.

It is set in Russia from 1915 and spans to the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is a historical novel, partly based on the author’s personal history but mostly birthed through research and imagination. The reader experiences how government policy, made so indifferently, results in the suffering of hundreds of thousands of families to millions of individual lives.

“All that is needed is a government of tyrants and the excuse to issue a heartless edict.”

This is said by a suffering character in early 20th Century Russia and should make us uncomfortable about our own time and place. We witness those living under the fear of being constantly watched and afraid of their own government but, ‘’…somehow people convinced themselves that we lived on the surface with sunshine on our faces.” There is an admirable element to the human capacity to adjust to tyranny but our capacity to live life within the framework of enormous suffering can also normalize the unacceptable. To do what is easiest. Bear the consequences of one’s times because, though lives may be destroyed in horrifying abundance, individually each is powerless to make any real change.

Though the characters live in a distant period and place, they appear vividly in front of us in our mind’s eye. We understand that their actions are often the consequence of survival. I did not judge them. As a reader I found myself understanding the limitations of their choices. That holding on to principles is far more easily done when little is at stake. But when you live in life-threatening times, or buy into propaganda that penetrates the mind in formative youth, it is easy to understand why those in the book do what they do and often understand the consequences too late. I found this true even in my own, far simpler life that,

“…wisdom comes to us in uneven bursts and in random order.” and often, too late.

In the context of a tentacled, oppressive governments that insist on loyalty, (a word we hear with frightening regularity now in the USA), the impact on even the most intimate of relationships is felt. Ironically, in a land that insists on loyalty there is no trust. Fear of betrayal is everywhere. And sociopaths rise rapidly, creating their darkness within their own home as is so chillingly described in this book.

If I have one criticism of the book I would say that the character, Steven, who bookends the it, is unnecessary. The women characters are written so strongly that they do not need Steven to be heard. They can fall deep in the woods all on their own and still make a thunderous noise. No man need hear them to bring them to life. In fact the book is at its strongest when Steven fades away and the women’s story is left to be brilliantly told.

[ManOfLaBook.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Sickle’s Edge by Neville D. Frankel is a novel following generations of Russian Jews and their struggle with their religion, society and economic system. Mr. Frankel was born in South Africa and immigrated to Boston.

The book follows three generations of the same family, trapped in the USSR. Lena, born in South Africa and brought back to Russia, only to find herself stuck there. Darya, Lena’s granddaughter and a true believer in Communism who is becoming disillusioned with the system she loves. Steven, a Boston painter who accidently stumbles into a family he doesn’t know.

I liked almost everything about On the Sickle’s Edge by Neville D. Frankel. The novel is ambitious, flows well, and interesting to read. I’m always up for a good book, especially one with Jewish themes in Eastern Europe.

The author tells a powerful story and doesn’t shy away from geopolitical events and the impact they had on people. The narrative is very absorbing and powerful, I was especially fascinated to read how decisions in the upper echelons of government impact the little person on the street who just wants a good job and a warm meal.

I did not care for the ending though, it did not fit the narrative the author built. The story turned from a wonderful family saga, into an action/adventure story which I found to be a very strange choice.

The cover is also a strange choice, I usually don’t pay much attention to covers but this one seemed strange. Usually I judge whether or not I’d pick up a book in the store or a library by its cover (for example, I know to stay away from romance books because of the covers, that way I don’t waste my time reading synopsis of book I’m most likely not going to like), this one though I would pass by. For a book about generations of Russian Jews, a picture depicting Jesus on the cover seems strange.

Ending aside, I really did enjoy this novel. The saga the novel tells is fascinating and exciting, even though the novel is a bit long, it’s hard to put down.

For More Reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

[Jill Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good historical novel takes you back to a time of some significance and conveys to you the spirit, as well as the history, of a particular era, all the while engaging you in the drama of several characters who illuminate different aspects and views of that time. However, a great historical novel also allows you to breathe and smell the air surrounding those characters, taste their food, feel what they're feeling as they embrace one another, and transport you to that world, however different it might be from your own.

"On the Sickle's Edge" is a great historical novel. Not only does Neville Frankel, the author of this epic tale, highlight the terror and uncertainty through which so many Jews and non-Jews alike in the Soviet Union suffered during the twentieth century, but he does it by sharing with us in unsparing detail the day to dayness under which births and deaths, duplicity and revelations, and even romance transpired.

For those looking to learn more about a dramatic and at times, even brutal era during which their relatives might have lived and died, I highly recommend this book. For those looking just to learn more about a fascinating time in history that reverberates even today as Vladimir Putin works to increase his stronghold on what was once the Soviet Union, I also recommend it. And for those just looking for a great read, this will definitely fill the bill.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the Brooklyn Social Media for their sponsorship of the free book giveaway. Receiving a free copy did not affect my review. When I first start reading this book I was all set to give it four stars, then it was three and I wrapped up the book with two stars. Halfway through the book, it went from an intriguing historical fiction to a Lifetime Movie of the Week with too graphic accounts of sexual encounters and physical torture. This was not what I signed up for when I expressed my interest in receiving a copy of the book. Frankly, I skimmed through the last third of the book. There was very little of the family's time spent in South Africa which was disappointing. I assumed there would be a parallel story line when the family separated. This premise held such promise.