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Devushka: The Winter's Tale
Near a rural village to the north of St Petersburg, in the winter of 1900, a prank by an impish rogue goes awry and the perpetrator is seriously injured. The accident is witnessed by Aleksandra, a young girl on her way to school, and she rushes to help.
This sets in motion an unlikely bond as, unbeknown to the girl, the imp watches over her while she struggles to come to terms with the extraordinary skills her encounter with the magical spirit have inadvertently bestowed upon her. Violently rejected by her superstitious mother, she flees the family home and finds sanctuary in St Petersburg.
But the city is descending into chaos and revolution as labourers, industrialists and the intelligentsia grow increasingly dissatisfied with the Tsarist autocracy of Imperial Russia. As she adjusts to her new and often dangerous life in the capital Aleksandra loses and also reestablishes friendships. She falls in with a band of criminals, rubs shoulders with the Archpriest of Kronstadt and meets a group of disaffected students. All the while, she is developing her sense of purpose in a world which just cannot seem to settle.
This sets in motion an unlikely bond as, unbeknown to the girl, the imp watches over her while she struggles to come to terms with the extraordinary skills her encounter with the magical spirit have inadvertently bestowed upon her. Violently rejected by her superstitious mother, she flees the family home and finds sanctuary in St Petersburg.
But the city is descending into chaos and revolution as labourers, industrialists and the intelligentsia grow increasingly dissatisfied with the Tsarist autocracy of Imperial Russia. As she adjusts to her new and often dangerous life in the capital Aleksandra loses and also reestablishes friendships. She falls in with a band of criminals, rubs shoulders with the Archpriest of Kronstadt and meets a group of disaffected students. All the while, she is developing her sense of purpose in a world which just cannot seem to settle.
282 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2019
44 people want to read
About the author
S. Pearce
9 books104 followersSimon Pearce was born in the south of England and spent most of his formative years growing up on the Isle of Wight. He read English and German at the University of Wales, Swansea, and then wrote his Ph.D. in German history and literature at the University of Nottingham. He now lives near Berlin.
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April 18, 2020
Devushka: A Winter’s Tale by Simon Pearce brings together many different elements. The story opens up in Russia in the early 1900s. The story is narrated by a mysterious trickster. After a prank gone wrong, the story introduces Aleksandra who witnesses the prank. She is a young girl and witnessing this one prank triggers a series of events that make her leave home. She then travels to St. Petersburg. She is able to find work but times are changing. The people of Russia are growing tired and Russia is on the brink of Revolution. Meanwhile, Aleksandra is trying to figure out her place in this world.
This is such a unique story. This book feels like historical fiction but is filled with mysticism. The author really captures the unease during this time in Russia. I love how it is from the perspective of the working and laboring class. Normally, this story focuses on the revolution with Tsar and his family.
The main aspect is how powerful the concept of a belief is…and how it can change everything. I also love how the ending leaves everything up to the reader’s belief and for them to make their own conclusions.
The pace can be a little slow in places and the point of view does switch quite often. However, it does not take away from the enjoyment of the story. So I rate this story 4 out of 5 stars!
This is such a unique story. This book feels like historical fiction but is filled with mysticism. The author really captures the unease during this time in Russia. I love how it is from the perspective of the working and laboring class. Normally, this story focuses on the revolution with Tsar and his family.
The main aspect is how powerful the concept of a belief is…and how it can change everything. I also love how the ending leaves everything up to the reader’s belief and for them to make their own conclusions.
The pace can be a little slow in places and the point of view does switch quite often. However, it does not take away from the enjoyment of the story. So I rate this story 4 out of 5 stars!
Displaying 1 of 1 review