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Moscow Wolves #1
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt
Shortlisted for the Bookmark Book Festival’s Book of the Year Award 2020
It’s 1973 and Martha has been sent down from Cambridge for distributing left-wing leaflets and doing no work. To escape parental disapproval, she marries her friend Kit, posted to Moscow by the diplomatic service. Kit is gay, but having a wife could keep him safe. In Moscow, Martha struggles to make sense of a difficult but fascinating new world.
Who can she trust? Who can she even talk to? She takes Russian lessons, makes the wrong friends, becomes familiar with a strange and wonderful city, and unwittingly becomes a spy.
It’s 1973 and Martha has been sent down from Cambridge for distributing left-wing leaflets and doing no work. To escape parental disapproval, she marries her friend Kit, posted to Moscow by the diplomatic service. Kit is gay, but having a wife could keep him safe. In Moscow, Martha struggles to make sense of a difficult but fascinating new world.
Who can she trust? Who can she even talk to? She takes Russian lessons, makes the wrong friends, becomes familiar with a strange and wonderful city, and unwittingly becomes a spy.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 24, 2019
It is 1973 and the don's at Cambridge have decided that they don't like Martha doing any work towards her degree. When she was caught handing out left-wing political leaflets though, that was the final straw and she was cast out from the university. Her very middle-class parents are embarrassed, especially given the position her father has within the smoke and mirrors of the secret service and decide that she must follow their orders from now on. They line her up for a job as a teacher where she cannot get into trouble or shame them anymore.
To escape from their claustrophobic clutches she hatches a plan with a good friend, Kit. He is just about to be posted to Moscow as a junior diplomat and needs a companion. Unbeknown to both families, Kit is gay and he is hoping that Martha's presence will deflect suspicion about his sexuality. Their families agree to the marriage and shortly after they are off to the USSR.
The UK seems quite pleasant when compared to 1970's Russia. They are allocated a basic apartment as well as a maid, a driver and Martha is provided with a Russian teacher to help her with the language. There were no maps of the city that were any use so she began to make her own as she walked around the streets, always followed by the KGB. Martha gets used to being followed, finding them easy to spot.
She makes a few friends and starts to mix with the wives of the other men from the embassy. Goes to the opera and cinema and takes another lady's son out to give her a break. Preferring to continue with her independent streak, she also befriends Eva, who whilst is British, is very much out of favour with the embassy. Her actions are starting to get her noticed and not just by the Russians, she comes home to find the bin contents removed and the beds messed up. But things really start to unravel when she is asked to pass an envelope on to someone.
In Russia, there is no such thing as a coincidence…
Rather than hearing another story of daring do and action, this is about the people that were equally affected by the hostile environment in the Soviet state. Armstrong builds this atmospheric spy thriller and takes us back to the height of the cold war in the 1970s. She builds the subtle relationships between the women well and explores just how the tension of being there eventually affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree. It is a solid, well-crafted plot and paced just right to build the unease in the reader. 3.5 stars
To escape from their claustrophobic clutches she hatches a plan with a good friend, Kit. He is just about to be posted to Moscow as a junior diplomat and needs a companion. Unbeknown to both families, Kit is gay and he is hoping that Martha's presence will deflect suspicion about his sexuality. Their families agree to the marriage and shortly after they are off to the USSR.
The UK seems quite pleasant when compared to 1970's Russia. They are allocated a basic apartment as well as a maid, a driver and Martha is provided with a Russian teacher to help her with the language. There were no maps of the city that were any use so she began to make her own as she walked around the streets, always followed by the KGB. Martha gets used to being followed, finding them easy to spot.
She makes a few friends and starts to mix with the wives of the other men from the embassy. Goes to the opera and cinema and takes another lady's son out to give her a break. Preferring to continue with her independent streak, she also befriends Eva, who whilst is British, is very much out of favour with the embassy. Her actions are starting to get her noticed and not just by the Russians, she comes home to find the bin contents removed and the beds messed up. But things really start to unravel when she is asked to pass an envelope on to someone.
In Russia, there is no such thing as a coincidence…
Rather than hearing another story of daring do and action, this is about the people that were equally affected by the hostile environment in the Soviet state. Armstrong builds this atmospheric spy thriller and takes us back to the height of the cold war in the 1970s. She builds the subtle relationships between the women well and explores just how the tension of being there eventually affects everyone to a greater or lesser degree. It is a solid, well-crafted plot and paced just right to build the unease in the reader. 3.5 stars
February 26, 2019
I was truly fascinated by this story as it follows rebellious Martha, the daughter of an upper middle class family in the 1970’s. Martha has recently been sent home after losing her place at Cambridge University after being caught on camera protesting about the exclusion of women from Trinity college. But what seemed as a good idea at the time has now put Martha in a position that she certainly does want to be in, back home under the control of her not so impressed parents. They are in the process of arranging a position as a pre school teacher for her when a once in a life time deal comes up.
Kit is a bestie of Martha’s brother and working as a junior minister in Russia. The thing is Kit is gay but in 1970 he is well and truly staying in the closet. A marriage of convenience is agreed between them. which gives Kit the outward appearance he needs and the chance for Martha to escape the over baring parents that wish to clip her wings.
I loved the comparisons of 1970’s Britain and Russia and how each had views of the other. Martha really hadn’t a clue what she was letting herself in for with this deal. The high-rise accommodation was very basic and she, as all foreigners working there were constantly monitored. There was definitely no caging the inquisitive Martha. She had a daring about her that took her into the real Russia, not abiding to the rules of a diplomats wife. A suspected suicide and disappearance of people make putting a foot out-of-place feel pretty deadly.
The characters were fascinating especially Eva, a former Brit now living in the Russian sector, where an unusual and dangerous friendship is formed. Strange alliances and encounters are a thing that Martha cannot stay away from while at the same time the British diplomats wives are becoming hostile because of her absence at their gatherings.
At first meeting of Martha I thought of her as a spoilt young woman but she does a tremendous amount of growing in Russia with an obvious love for the country. She adapts quickly to situations, where I was left open-mouthed when huge buildings and churches just simply vanished with terrified local people swearing that they had never existed. Maps were useless as whole areas constantly changed. A brilliant story that focuses on the wives of these diplomats and the consequences of not following the rules.
If you like this sort of cold war thriller then this will hit the spot. I loved it!
Kit is a bestie of Martha’s brother and working as a junior minister in Russia. The thing is Kit is gay but in 1970 he is well and truly staying in the closet. A marriage of convenience is agreed between them. which gives Kit the outward appearance he needs and the chance for Martha to escape the over baring parents that wish to clip her wings.
I loved the comparisons of 1970’s Britain and Russia and how each had views of the other. Martha really hadn’t a clue what she was letting herself in for with this deal. The high-rise accommodation was very basic and she, as all foreigners working there were constantly monitored. There was definitely no caging the inquisitive Martha. She had a daring about her that took her into the real Russia, not abiding to the rules of a diplomats wife. A suspected suicide and disappearance of people make putting a foot out-of-place feel pretty deadly.
The characters were fascinating especially Eva, a former Brit now living in the Russian sector, where an unusual and dangerous friendship is formed. Strange alliances and encounters are a thing that Martha cannot stay away from while at the same time the British diplomats wives are becoming hostile because of her absence at their gatherings.
At first meeting of Martha I thought of her as a spoilt young woman but she does a tremendous amount of growing in Russia with an obvious love for the country. She adapts quickly to situations, where I was left open-mouthed when huge buildings and churches just simply vanished with terrified local people swearing that they had never existed. Maps were useless as whole areas constantly changed. A brilliant story that focuses on the wives of these diplomats and the consequences of not following the rules.
If you like this sort of cold war thriller then this will hit the spot. I loved it!
February 8, 2019
1970s spy thriller set in MOSCOW
Martha comes from an upper middle class British family. Her father is something important at GCHQ in Cheltenham. She is, when the story opens, an undergraduate at Cambridge – but that soon goes seriously wrong. She is sent down by her college for demonstrating outside Trinity for women to be admitted. Her parents are shocked and embarrassed – and are arranging for her to live at home, and be a prep school teacher, to prevent her getting into further trouble.
She talks to gay family friend, Kit, who is a junior diplomat and about to be sent to a posting in Moscow. They agree to a ‘marriage of convenience’ (enthusiastically supported by both unknowing families…) and for her to accompany him.
Life on a Moscow posting in the 1970s was not easy or smooth. The accommodation (certainly for a junior at the Embassy) was pretty basic – although no doubt better than that enjoyed by the local population. Conversations were monitored and you were followed in the streets by the secret service. Your maid, your driver, and your teacher were all in the employ of the Russian state. Not, probably, too threatening an existence if you followed the game rules for being diplomat’s wife – joining the Embassy choir and socialising with your peers. But this life was not for Martha. She has an independent spirit of adventure… She wants to get to know Moscow, and to meet non-Embassy people. She walks many miles though woods, parks, visits the university and generally roams the streets. She encounters a somewhat strange lady, Eva, a Brit but definitely out of favour with the Embassy. They suspect she is a spy – and they suspect that Martha meeting her was not by chance. Eventually Martha is sent home to England – not officially ‘in disgrace’ (the Embassy is too refined for that…) but not exactly in the best of books. Kit stays on in Moscow – with his sexual secret exposed (as, we guess, it probably always has been…).
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is quite delightful in the way it relates the 1970 lifestyles of an upper middle class English family and those involved in the service of their country in Moscow. The atmosphere feels very real – and quite definitely of a bygone era (although only 50 years ago…). Moscow comes through loud and clear as Martha walks the streets. The nervousness of being followed and being recorded, the parks and the streets all true to life (not that you could buy a map at the time), and the quite magnificent Metro stations – designed as cultural palaces for the masses.
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is a nostalgic hark back to a very different age. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Martha comes from an upper middle class British family. Her father is something important at GCHQ in Cheltenham. She is, when the story opens, an undergraduate at Cambridge – but that soon goes seriously wrong. She is sent down by her college for demonstrating outside Trinity for women to be admitted. Her parents are shocked and embarrassed – and are arranging for her to live at home, and be a prep school teacher, to prevent her getting into further trouble.
She talks to gay family friend, Kit, who is a junior diplomat and about to be sent to a posting in Moscow. They agree to a ‘marriage of convenience’ (enthusiastically supported by both unknowing families…) and for her to accompany him.
Life on a Moscow posting in the 1970s was not easy or smooth. The accommodation (certainly for a junior at the Embassy) was pretty basic – although no doubt better than that enjoyed by the local population. Conversations were monitored and you were followed in the streets by the secret service. Your maid, your driver, and your teacher were all in the employ of the Russian state. Not, probably, too threatening an existence if you followed the game rules for being diplomat’s wife – joining the Embassy choir and socialising with your peers. But this life was not for Martha. She has an independent spirit of adventure… She wants to get to know Moscow, and to meet non-Embassy people. She walks many miles though woods, parks, visits the university and generally roams the streets. She encounters a somewhat strange lady, Eva, a Brit but definitely out of favour with the Embassy. They suspect she is a spy – and they suspect that Martha meeting her was not by chance. Eventually Martha is sent home to England – not officially ‘in disgrace’ (the Embassy is too refined for that…) but not exactly in the best of books. Kit stays on in Moscow – with his sexual secret exposed (as, we guess, it probably always has been…).
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is quite delightful in the way it relates the 1970 lifestyles of an upper middle class English family and those involved in the service of their country in Moscow. The atmosphere feels very real – and quite definitely of a bygone era (although only 50 years ago…). Moscow comes through loud and clear as Martha walks the streets. The nervousness of being followed and being recorded, the parks and the streets all true to life (not that you could buy a map at the time), and the quite magnificent Metro stations – designed as cultural palaces for the masses.
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is a nostalgic hark back to a very different age. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 6, 2019
I'm still mystified by The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt. I feel that the story was set in different planes, and I perhaps only connected with the surface plane, and not the depth of The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt.
February 23, 2019
Review to follow
October 15, 2019
I enjoyed this book, but was a bit troubled by some of the details. I am old enough to remember the 70s, and I don't think the word 'gay' was all that common then. I find it hard to believe Martha given her background would be comfortable enough with Kit's homosexuality to accept it and marry him in spite of it. That seems like something that could only have happened with someone much more world-wise than Martha.
Some of the other details in the narrative didn't seem to lead anywhere. I had a number of questions at the end of the book, but I guess, so did Martha.
I loved the descriptions of Moscow and the descriptions of atmosphere of the distrust and malevolence from the Cold War. This did ring true to my memories of the politics of the time. Interesting too was the female perspective. There are so many spy novels written from male perspectives (and commonly for male readers).
Some of the other details in the narrative didn't seem to lead anywhere. I had a number of questions at the end of the book, but I guess, so did Martha.
I loved the descriptions of Moscow and the descriptions of atmosphere of the distrust and malevolence from the Cold War. This did ring true to my memories of the politics of the time. Interesting too was the female perspective. There are so many spy novels written from male perspectives (and commonly for male readers).
June 30, 2019
Moscow 1973 - the narrator escapes her parents house (where she is living as a sort of punishment for being sent down from Cambridge) and her dull life prospects by marrying a gay friend and moving with him to Moscow as a diplomatic wife (spying may be involved). And while she tries to solve the riddle that is Moscow and map the parks missing on the tourist maps, the Soviets are also trying to map her, and who can you trust, when the house searches are not even disguised, and every stranger to approach you is obviously a provocation to see what you can be pushed to do, and for which side in the cold war.
June 5, 2025
I enjoyed this book but I was surprised that it received better reviews than The Starlings of Bucharest because I didn’t think it was as good. Having said that, Martha the main character was a very likeable, strong minded female with some underlying vulnerabilities which made her a very interesting character. The book gives great detail about life in Moscow and the demise of the Soviet Union. It’s hard to believe life was as hard as it was in the 1970s and there really was no meaningful place for women in society at all. Thank goodness that has changed, but there is still more to do. I love Sarah Armstrong style of writing and her attention to detail really interests me. I’ve ordered her next book which is about Northern Ireland and I am really looking forward to reading it.
March 1, 2019
Martha is a bit of a free spirit and when she returns home after being sent down from Cambridge her parents don't really know what to do with her. Martha solves the problem by marrying her gay friend Kit and travelling with him to Moscow. That this marriage is one of convenience suits both Martha and Kit, however, Martha finds out, to her cost, that life in Russia is very different from being in England. Her natural excitement at being in such a wonderful, but rather strange, country is hampered by the political and social restrictions which, even as a married woman, are placed upon her.
Spending time in Moscow with Martha in the Russia of the 1970s, when this story is set, is enlightening as not only does the shadier side of life emerge, but also the references of living in a place where everyone is under suspicion comes across in a story, by a different narrator, which runs like a thread throughout, and which explains the analogy to the wolves of Leninsky Prospekt.
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is an interesting read and the author has done a good job of recreating this mysterious time in Russian history. There was a nice sense of time and place and I especially enjoyed reading of Martha’s exploration of the parks and woods of the city and of her dealings with some of the more shady characters who flit into and out of the story. That some of these characters aren't particularly likeable helps to add an uncomfortable atmosphere, to what is, in effect, quite a cautionary story about a bygone world.
February 4, 2019
Well-written rubbish
This book is a farrago of nonsense. An imagined tale of an imaginary life as a diplomatic spouse in Moscow. Bears absolutely no relation to reality. A total waste of time. Given one star only because zero is not allowed.
This book is a farrago of nonsense. An imagined tale of an imaginary life as a diplomatic spouse in Moscow. Bears absolutely no relation to reality. A total waste of time. Given one star only because zero is not allowed.
May 5, 2021
1972: Martha is in trouble... again. At least in the eyes of the Cambridge University dons and her staid upper middle class parents. Sent down from Cambridge for daring to protest about women's rights, she finds herself back in the strangling atmosphere of her parental home, destined to never escape the dutiful life they have planned out for her.
But Martha has a plan. Her brother's friend Kit is off to Moscow to perform dodgy deeds under the guise of a respectable diplomat, and Martha is very keen to escape her current predicament and go along for the ride. Fortunately, Kit sees the advantages in having a wife at his side, especially since it will distract from the fact that he is gay, so a hastily arranged marriage ensues.
Martha cannot wait to experience the romantic Moscow she has read about, but things are not quite as she expected when she eventually finds herself living in a tiny apartment on Leninsky Prospekt, having replaced the disapproving eye of her parents for the strictures placed on Embassy wives and the constant surveillance of the security services. Despite having no idea how to behave in this strange world of subterfuge and endless mind-games, or who it is safe to become friends with, Martha finds herself falling in love with Moscow's secret, wild places, and inspired by a book of short stories that fate has brought into her possession, she maps them out during her lonely days in the city. She is desperate to make this enigmatic city her home, but how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice in the process?
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is an incredible combination of coming of age story and espionage thriller, with a deep vein of allegorical folklore. This makes it something of a cut above the when it comes to the wonderful way Sarah Armstrong creates the immersive Cold War atmosphere that envelopes you throughout this book.
Martha's independent nature proves her to be completely unsuited to the life of a diplomat's wife. Not for her the life of the dutiful little woman, living only to protect the reputation of her family, and support the career of her husband - especially when she discovers the reality of the closed off existence the Moscow wives are expected to lead. She wants so much more. I really admired this about her, but is seems obvious from the start that this is going to lead her into dangerous waters. It is this side of her character that makes her the perfect target to be tempted by those on the other side - and they know exactly how to strike at the heart of her disaffection.
Armstrong plays with some really interesting themes in the telling of this tale. We are in the heart of well-trodden Cold War country, with watchful eyes everywhere, where it is impossible to know who to trust, and yet she comes at this from an entirely new perspective - that of the women who have found themselves living in this world. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of class, sex, women's rights, and entitlement through the eyes of Martha, and the way folklore, heavy with hidden symbolism, is used to drive the story to its inevitable conclusion. The way Armstrong spins the notion of the 'wolf' throughout the threads of the tale is simply beautiful. Who is the wolf? Good question, to which there are no easy answers, and so many shades of meaning.
This is, on first sight, a simple tale of a woman who falls in love with a city, and through this developing relationship discovers the truth about herself, but there is so much more to take from this story, and its layers are like the secret meanings within the lines of the folktales that are sprinkled throughout the text - gradually becoming darker and more twisted as events play out. I adored it and urge you to discover for yourself what lies at the frozen heart of the wolves of Leninsky Prospekt - I guarantee you will enjoy finding out their secrets for yourself.
But Martha has a plan. Her brother's friend Kit is off to Moscow to perform dodgy deeds under the guise of a respectable diplomat, and Martha is very keen to escape her current predicament and go along for the ride. Fortunately, Kit sees the advantages in having a wife at his side, especially since it will distract from the fact that he is gay, so a hastily arranged marriage ensues.
Martha cannot wait to experience the romantic Moscow she has read about, but things are not quite as she expected when she eventually finds herself living in a tiny apartment on Leninsky Prospekt, having replaced the disapproving eye of her parents for the strictures placed on Embassy wives and the constant surveillance of the security services. Despite having no idea how to behave in this strange world of subterfuge and endless mind-games, or who it is safe to become friends with, Martha finds herself falling in love with Moscow's secret, wild places, and inspired by a book of short stories that fate has brought into her possession, she maps them out during her lonely days in the city. She is desperate to make this enigmatic city her home, but how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice in the process?
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is an incredible combination of coming of age story and espionage thriller, with a deep vein of allegorical folklore. This makes it something of a cut above the when it comes to the wonderful way Sarah Armstrong creates the immersive Cold War atmosphere that envelopes you throughout this book.
Martha's independent nature proves her to be completely unsuited to the life of a diplomat's wife. Not for her the life of the dutiful little woman, living only to protect the reputation of her family, and support the career of her husband - especially when she discovers the reality of the closed off existence the Moscow wives are expected to lead. She wants so much more. I really admired this about her, but is seems obvious from the start that this is going to lead her into dangerous waters. It is this side of her character that makes her the perfect target to be tempted by those on the other side - and they know exactly how to strike at the heart of her disaffection.
Armstrong plays with some really interesting themes in the telling of this tale. We are in the heart of well-trodden Cold War country, with watchful eyes everywhere, where it is impossible to know who to trust, and yet she comes at this from an entirely new perspective - that of the women who have found themselves living in this world. I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of class, sex, women's rights, and entitlement through the eyes of Martha, and the way folklore, heavy with hidden symbolism, is used to drive the story to its inevitable conclusion. The way Armstrong spins the notion of the 'wolf' throughout the threads of the tale is simply beautiful. Who is the wolf? Good question, to which there are no easy answers, and so many shades of meaning.
This is, on first sight, a simple tale of a woman who falls in love with a city, and through this developing relationship discovers the truth about herself, but there is so much more to take from this story, and its layers are like the secret meanings within the lines of the folktales that are sprinkled throughout the text - gradually becoming darker and more twisted as events play out. I adored it and urge you to discover for yourself what lies at the frozen heart of the wolves of Leninsky Prospekt - I guarantee you will enjoy finding out their secrets for yourself.
May 3, 2021
I quite enjoyed the book, but to be honest it wasn’t, to me, a page-turner. It’s set in an interesting place during an interesting period and there’s lots of very impressive detail about Moscow and life there which I assume to be accurate. What bothered me was that the novel had a curiously veiled quality, as though a lot was being withheld, and in the end it made the novel a little unsatisfactory. One kept waiting for something earth-shattering which never came.
That the narrator’s husband is a diplomat who has to be careful what he says and that everyone is being watched and listened to with the accommodation being bugged only partially explains the lack of information. As the novel is written throughout in the first person singular, there’s no reason why we couldn't have been given the benefit of the narrator, Martha’s, speculations as to what is going on behind the scenes especially as she was a political activist in England before going to Russia. Indeed, she wasn’t in Russia for very long and Martha would have been aware of world event before she left England and when she returned, but there’s nothing much in the book about that. There were a few characters who might have been spies, but there was very little in the way of specifics about them. The political activism was about the need for change, but very little detail was given about that too.
Another thing I found unconvincing was the bullying attitude of Martha’s parents, pushing her to become a school teacher, banning her from phoning her friend from university and the way Martha didn’t totally reject this. It didn’t seem to ring true of a girl who’d got to Cambridge and become a political activist. I recall the early 70s, myself and certainly girls by that time were well on the way to becoming independent in their careers and behaviour. So this aspect of the novel was unconvincing. I felt like taking Martha by the scruff of the neck and shaking some spirit into her.
Another slight niggle is that there’s no discernible plot or storyline. The novel merely relates events during a period in Martha’s life. There seemed to be no core plot.
All that said, I’ve given the novel 3 stars because it’s well-written in a readable style and I quite looked forward to picking it up every evening. It must have taken a good deal of research and is admirable for that. It was compelling in a vague and gentle way.
That the narrator’s husband is a diplomat who has to be careful what he says and that everyone is being watched and listened to with the accommodation being bugged only partially explains the lack of information. As the novel is written throughout in the first person singular, there’s no reason why we couldn't have been given the benefit of the narrator, Martha’s, speculations as to what is going on behind the scenes especially as she was a political activist in England before going to Russia. Indeed, she wasn’t in Russia for very long and Martha would have been aware of world event before she left England and when she returned, but there’s nothing much in the book about that. There were a few characters who might have been spies, but there was very little in the way of specifics about them. The political activism was about the need for change, but very little detail was given about that too.
Another thing I found unconvincing was the bullying attitude of Martha’s parents, pushing her to become a school teacher, banning her from phoning her friend from university and the way Martha didn’t totally reject this. It didn’t seem to ring true of a girl who’d got to Cambridge and become a political activist. I recall the early 70s, myself and certainly girls by that time were well on the way to becoming independent in their careers and behaviour. So this aspect of the novel was unconvincing. I felt like taking Martha by the scruff of the neck and shaking some spirit into her.
Another slight niggle is that there’s no discernible plot or storyline. The novel merely relates events during a period in Martha’s life. There seemed to be no core plot.
All that said, I’ve given the novel 3 stars because it’s well-written in a readable style and I quite looked forward to picking it up every evening. It must have taken a good deal of research and is admirable for that. It was compelling in a vague and gentle way.
March 9, 2020
I think what really helped my enjoyment of this book is that it is not only set in Russia, but also the subtle references to Russian Literature, especially "The Master and Margarita". Having read a lot of Russian Literature, including this book, was an added bonus for me.
The story revolves around the main character Martha (or Marta) trying to find her way in life. Young, hot headed, idealistic, passionate believer in the right to protest. But, also at the same time, being young and new to the world, quite ignorant and naïve of the world around her. This ultimately leads her into many interesting and potentially compromising situations.
Throughout the story she is trying to find her place and understand and rationalize everything she can see compared to what she hears and is being told. In many cases this is conflicting information. This book bore all the hallmarks of a great intrigue and spy novel.
There were parts of this book I found very reminiscent of Robert Harris' "Archangel".
If for nothing else, my two main critical views of this novel is 1) With the story lines in the Forests around Moscow, there was great suspense, BUT, I felt more could have been made of it and 2) (and I mean this more as a compliment) is that I enjoyed this book so much, it could have been a bit longer than it actually was.
The story revolves around the main character Martha (or Marta) trying to find her way in life. Young, hot headed, idealistic, passionate believer in the right to protest. But, also at the same time, being young and new to the world, quite ignorant and naïve of the world around her. This ultimately leads her into many interesting and potentially compromising situations.
Throughout the story she is trying to find her place and understand and rationalize everything she can see compared to what she hears and is being told. In many cases this is conflicting information. This book bore all the hallmarks of a great intrigue and spy novel.
There were parts of this book I found very reminiscent of Robert Harris' "Archangel".
If for nothing else, my two main critical views of this novel is 1) With the story lines in the Forests around Moscow, there was great suspense, BUT, I felt more could have been made of it and 2) (and I mean this more as a compliment) is that I enjoyed this book so much, it could have been a bit longer than it actually was.
May 13, 2020
The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt is a surprising and rather brilliant new take on the Cold War as seen through the eyes of a British Embassy wife based in Russia in the 1970’s.
The book has the hallmark of meticulous research and in Sarah Armstrong’s capable hands, the era is brought vividly to life, both in terms of the repressed English middle-classes back home, and with dazzling success, the even more repressed Soviet citizens in Moscow.
The central figure of Martha is brilliantly realised. She rings absolutely true to both the period and her privileged upbringing. All the time I was reading she was reminding me of someone, and I had the strangest feeling that I had met her or at least seen her somewhere, there is something about how she is brought to life which is that palpable. This story is absolutely made for the screen and I’m already thinking about who I’d cast.
The book has the hallmark of meticulous research and in Sarah Armstrong’s capable hands, the era is brought vividly to life, both in terms of the repressed English middle-classes back home, and with dazzling success, the even more repressed Soviet citizens in Moscow.
The central figure of Martha is brilliantly realised. She rings absolutely true to both the period and her privileged upbringing. All the time I was reading she was reminding me of someone, and I had the strangest feeling that I had met her or at least seen her somewhere, there is something about how she is brought to life which is that palpable. This story is absolutely made for the screen and I’m already thinking about who I’d cast.
December 25, 2021
Reading this merely months after wrapping up Killing Eve and The Americans, so there is much that resonated with that. Interesting description of Cold War lives of the wives of Western diplomats stationed behind the Iron Curtain. Not something one reads about often. My only gripe is that Martha seems impossibly naive and I can't imagine that she wouldn't have received some kind of formal consular briefing before departing for the USSR.
Have recommended this book to a British acquaintance whose husband was stationed in Russian occupied Czechoslovakia in the 70s who in turn passed that rec on to her friend whose husband was Ambassador to the USSR and was stationed there a number of times. Really interested in getting their take on it and whether it accurately reflects some of their experiences!
Have recommended this book to a British acquaintance whose husband was stationed in Russian occupied Czechoslovakia in the 70s who in turn passed that rec on to her friend whose husband was Ambassador to the USSR and was stationed there a number of times. Really interested in getting their take on it and whether it accurately reflects some of their experiences!
March 6, 2019
This is not my normal kind of read, but I found it really fascintating - a spy novel written from the perspective of the excluded wife who is falling in love with Moscow while surrounded by the shadowy world of the cold war. The strength of this novel is the world building, the creation of Moscow, its ins and outs, its atmosphere and the sketches of people living in the shadow of corrupt communism. It was incredibly vibrant and real. There were a few moments I didn't buy into her sudden decisions - the brief love interest was too brief to build any emotional connection to, but ultimately her desire to make her own choices and resist governance from both sides made her a compelling character. I'm going to see what else the author has out there.
December 7, 2019
While I really enjoyed reading about Moscow as a place in the 70s I found Martha’s behaviour puzzling, but, hey, it’s fiction. Her ‘marriage’ to Kit is one of convenience for both of them, so unlikely as it was I got that. The descriptions of the KGB tactics and behaviour was interesting and the British diplomats’ reactions sadly predictable but Martha’s reactions were a bit unconvincing. I was quite glad to be getting to the end of of It though once she got home. But then, given my own connections, I was delighted to read of Martha’s experiences as she started a degree at the university of Essex, and the mention of the Red Brigade since I was acquainted with one of them! Overall I enjoyed it enough to read another of Sarah Armstrong’s books when my ‘to read’ pile goes down a bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2021
A seductive, multi-layered exploration of truth and lies, the watcher and the watched.
Sharply accurate about 1970's Russia, the gluts and shortage, glorious metro stations, absurd (sorry-fully booked) empty restaurants, the extraordinary GUM store with nothing to buy, the endless queues, the stink of papirosi - filterless cigarettes.
But lots and lots of books.
I remember that odd contradiction - knowing you were being followed and watched emboldened you to take risks you would avoid at home.
What made the book for me was the clever interweaving of the bizarre dream-like stories in the mysterious anthology which provides a wonderful Master and Margarita touch to cut through the absurdity of Soviet totalitarian.
Sharply accurate about 1970's Russia, the gluts and shortage, glorious metro stations, absurd (sorry-fully booked) empty restaurants, the extraordinary GUM store with nothing to buy, the endless queues, the stink of papirosi - filterless cigarettes.
But lots and lots of books.
I remember that odd contradiction - knowing you were being followed and watched emboldened you to take risks you would avoid at home.
What made the book for me was the clever interweaving of the bizarre dream-like stories in the mysterious anthology which provides a wonderful Master and Margarita touch to cut through the absurdity of Soviet totalitarian.
August 13, 2024
Probably the most disappointing read of the year for me - this sounded like everything I would love but fell so flat! I didn’t really get what happened in a lot of parts of the book. People were constantly pissed off at the main character for… I don’t know?
All she was doing was walking around Moscow and reading books in her apartment, I really couldn’t understand the issue. The “twist” at the end was pretty good, but it basically turned out that every character in the book completely sucked, so that took the wind out of things too.
Beautiful writing, but it just makes me wonder - what was the point of this book? Why was it written? Did it need to be written? What was it trying to achieve?
All she was doing was walking around Moscow and reading books in her apartment, I really couldn’t understand the issue. The “twist” at the end was pretty good, but it basically turned out that every character in the book completely sucked, so that took the wind out of things too.
Beautiful writing, but it just makes me wonder - what was the point of this book? Why was it written? Did it need to be written? What was it trying to achieve?
September 20, 2023
Set in Moscow in 1973. This is a nice period piece of Soviet Union during the cold war. I really did not like any of the characters, though and could not root for Martha at all. She's young of course and has very little life experience, but still, I could not connect with her or her actions. I liked how the atmosphere became more threatening chpter by chapter. The ending was unexpected.
September 29, 2022
A refreshing, fascinating, absorbing, read-in-one-sitting, tale of Martha's experimental and somewhat irresponsible attempt at building a life in 1970s Moscow. Research of time and place impeccably put to use.
November 26, 2024
read like a low-key action novel with some mystery in the plot. interesting enough as a light read.
the main bit, a brit temporarily moving to russia on assignment (her husband/friend's) and encountering some typical corruption and discrimination in the soviet regime.
the main bit, a brit temporarily moving to russia on assignment (her husband/friend's) and encountering some typical corruption and discrimination in the soviet regime.
December 7, 2018
This was sent to be by sandstone press, it’s an interesting, atmospheric read but the people all seem awful. It’s well written and I wanted to read on to see how it would end.
August 12, 2019
Read this in two days and thoroughly enjoyed it. A twisting, unsettling, lyrical love (???) letter to communist Moscow, it will stay with me for a long time.
January 13, 2020
Cold War Moscow espionage from a diplomatic wife’s point of view.
March 5, 2021
It was slow in the beginning but eventually it picked up pace
I'm only sad that the story is incomplete and leaves us wondering so much.
Otherwise amazing well written read.
I'm only sad that the story is incomplete and leaves us wondering so much.
Otherwise amazing well written read.
February 1, 2022
Interesting read. Very evocative of Soviet Moscow in the 70s and the way it felt to be there. But there wasn't much in the way of plot, and too many threads were left dangling at the end.
March 24, 2022
Really enjoyed the audiobook, though at times unfathomable plot, as we know as little as Martha. But very atmospheric of 1970s Moscow and the strange undercurrents in diplomatic life.
July 21, 2025
This was only 300 pages so i keep reading in the hope it would get better, it didnt. Just telling you about Martha trip to Russia once she had wed a gay friend. Was boring
August 2, 2021
3/5 stars
I picked this up because the premise- a woman marrying a gay British spy relocates to Cold War Moscow, picqued my interest. Armstrong does a great job conveying the tense surveillance and distrust that plagues companions of spies, creating suspense and ambiguity (who can we trust?) throughout the novel. However, whilst the meandering plot is meant to show the lack of opportunities and trapped lifestyle of Martha, the slow pace made it feel like nothing worthwhile was ever happening. In combination with the little character development we see, the book felt very underwhelming. Overall, The Wolves of Leninsky Prospect promised a gripping look at the intersection of the patriarchy and authoritatian leadership but ended up being as cold as winter in Moscow.
I picked this up because the premise- a woman marrying a gay British spy relocates to Cold War Moscow, picqued my interest. Armstrong does a great job conveying the tense surveillance and distrust that plagues companions of spies, creating suspense and ambiguity (who can we trust?) throughout the novel. However, whilst the meandering plot is meant to show the lack of opportunities and trapped lifestyle of Martha, the slow pace made it feel like nothing worthwhile was ever happening. In combination with the little character development we see, the book felt very underwhelming. Overall, The Wolves of Leninsky Prospect promised a gripping look at the intersection of the patriarchy and authoritatian leadership but ended up being as cold as winter in Moscow.
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