The Singing Forest

by Judith McCormack

A NYT Book Review Best Historical Fiction Book of the Year

"The Singing Forest blends thought-provoking reflections on the moral reckoning of war crimes with ... a young woman’s attempts to decode her eccentric professional and personal families."—Alida Becker, New York Times

In attempting to bring a suspected war criminal to justice, a lawyer wrestles with power, accountability, and her Jewish identity.

In a quiet forest in Belarus, two boys stumble across a long-kept the mass grave where Stalin’s police secretly murdered thousands in the 1930s. The results of the subsequent investigation have far-reaching effects, and across the Atlantic in Toronto, Leah Jarvis, a lively, curious young lawyer, finds herself tasked with an impossible the deportation of elderly Stefan Drozd, who fled his crimes in Kurapaty for a new identity in Canada. Leah is convinced of Drozd’s guilt, but she needs hard facts. She travels to Belarus in search of witnesses only to find herself asking increasingly complex questions. What is the relationship between chance, inheritance, and justice? Between her own history—her mother’s death, her father’s absence, the shadows of her Jewish heritage—and the challenges that now confront her?

Beautiful and wrenching by turns, The Singing Forest is a profound investigation of truth and memory—and the moving story of one man’s past and one woman’s determination to reckon with it.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Crime, Canada, Historical

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 21, 2021

Reviews

[Enid Wray]

Sadly I am bailing at the end of Chapter 4… just shy of ⅓ of the way through this. I really was looking forward to this.

While it is reminiscent of Anil’s Ghost - substitute Belarus for Sri Lanka, and a lawyer for an anthropologist - exploring similar themes of identity and memory, I am struggling to find my way to being invested in the story.

There are times when the writing is beautiful, but for the most part I’m finding it pretty pedantic, and the plot… well... it’s just plodding along at a snail’s pace. I’ve yet to feel at all connected with either of the two main characters, neither Leah nor Drodz.

And what is the problem with quotations marks? Why do so many authors refuse to use them these days? Don’t like it….

Too much on my TBR pile to spend any more time at this one.

DNF

[Andy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This concerns a young Jewish lawyer, Leah, presented with a transformative case.
In 1937, Stalin’s Politburo ordered a purge of "anti-Soviet elements" in society, targeting anti-Stalin Bolsheviks, former Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, priests, ex-White Army soldiers,and common criminals. At the same time, he also initiated "national operations", which meant the ethnic cleansing of non-Soviet ethnic group, and many of them, but specific to this novel, Jews. During these years, approximately 1.6 million people were arrested, 700,000 were shot, and an unknown number died under NKVD torture.
The novel opens with two young brothers in the forests of Belarus discovering bones which lead to the unearthing of a mass grave. Using accounts from the few survivors, a driver and confession taker for the NKVD, 16 years old at the time, Drozd, now in his 90s, is tracked down and arrested in Canada, where he escaped to in the 1940s.
Leah enters proceedings at a stage when the evidence is to tenuous to convict; those brave enough to speak say only that it ‘may’ have been him.
McCormack interweaves Leah’s own story with that of Drozd, and in doing so examines the difficulties faced in the prosecution of what obviously is a war criminal. It is dark subject matter, but very skilfully handled, and builds to a searing and thought provoking climax.
It is a startlingly humane piece of writing which seems to have snuck under the radar since it’s publication last month and evaded many media reviews as yet.
I thoroughly recommend it.

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapter of The Singing Forest has the best narrative description of collective denial I think I've ever found, of an entire town that both knows and doesn't know about a mass grave in the nearby forest, and for that alone I'm happy to have read it. The novel continues as an exploration of denial lightly dressed up as a crime novel: our heroine, a new Toronto lawyer, is assigned an extradition case for a suspected war criminal who possibly gained Canadian citizenship under false pretenses. She believes he is guilty, but also believes that the case against him rests on some fraudulent testimony; will she go along with the expectations of her superiors and the justice system and deny her doubts and misgivings, or will she face her doubts and try to find out the truth?

The tension between needing-to-know and not-wanting-to-upset-the-apple-cart is the thread that ties all of the book's subplots together. If you like character-driven stories about social issues and conflicting internal needs, and find denial (individual or collective) an interesting topic, I think you'll enjoy this. If you really just want to know who's guilty and whether or not they're going to jail, you'll likely find it less satisfying.

[Star Gater · Rating 1 out of 5]

With a heavy heart, I am not able to finish this. I have tried three times (NetGalley) and cannot latch onto anything or anyone. I even read the synopsis again trying to find a storyline to no avail. There are points where I hear just words being read, and on rare occasions they make a sentence. I am stopping at 45% (audiobook) and several hours challenged and defeated.

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request (based on the synopsis and title) to read and review.


#NetGalley
#Audiobooks
#DNF

[Russell Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wise book, and an excellent second novel from McCormack, whose first was a runner up for Canada's best first novel award. The protagonist, Leah Jarvis, is a young female lawyer uncertainly finding her way into the profession by working in a small firm headed by a talented but difficult older man, who is heading up a legal team for the crown's prosecution of a ninety-year-old man accused of being a war criminal. A book of intertwined narratives and the layers of the past, it is a memorable exploration of guilt, memory, and justice.

[Shoshana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

Far too slow and tedious to get through. Everything was so descriptive, to the point of being irritating. Almost 1 whole chapter just describing the slaughter and butchering of a pig. The characters were impossible to care about and the timelines and locations were so confusing.

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Singing Forest is set between contemporary Toronto and pre-war Belarus. The two main characters, Leah, a young lawyer, and Drozd, former NKVD chauffeur from Belarus. Both characters have fathers who have failed them. Both are trying to prove themselves. Leah, through justice; Drozd, by instilling fear in those around him. While the complicated Toronto scenes slow the story down, with three uncles, a love interest, and the lawyering, the Minsk scenes kept me reading. I found Judith McCormack’s ability to get inside the villain’s personal headspace allowed me to understand, but never to condone, the cruelties done under the pretence of Stalinism. Drozd wasn't a communist, he was a survivalist.

My grandfather, a kulak, was also tortured and killed under Article 58, counter-revolutionary activity, during the first summer of the Great Terror. He was jailed for two months and interrogated via troika. His trial took place in Zhytomyr, about five hundred kilometers south of Minsk. There’s good reason why Timothy Synder refers to these areas as ‘bloodlands.’ McCormack’s novel opens strong with the random discovery of a skull by some boys out mushroom hunting in the Kurapaty Forest. It ends with an online meeting that left me hanging. But perhaps unresolved is the only way to end such a complicated story about faded memories.

[Amanda Sava · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had very high hopes for this book, but had to force myself to finish it. The writing was pretty good, and the plot was good too, but overall the book was very, very slow. I found it hard to follow at times, with no quotation marks in the dialogue, and a lot of skipping around between past and present, daydreams and thoughts of each of the characters. Took me awhile to get into the book, and even then, didn't feel really connected to any of the characters. Still, an interesting plot though.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very thrilling ride. I loved this audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to the narrator. She definitely added to the atmosphere and tension of the book. This is a fantastic slow building story with plenty of twists and turns it becomes a real page turner. I liked the fact we get to know each character story. What i loved the most was the build up to the trial and the trial itself. I just couldn't put it down at that point it was so exciting and the tension I felt left me tingling.
The ending of this book really shocked me but im not going to spoil it and tell you why thats for you to read for yourself. I couldn't decide if the last line of the book ment their would be a second book or it was left there on purpose to make us really think about the novel. I am intrigued to find out.
This book is quite shocking and can be quite brutal in places however these just show the disturbing facts of war. You don't need to stretch your imagination to believe these sorts of things happened in real life at some point.
Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing this thrilling story to life.

[Sarah Schuelke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I regret finishing this book. I regret reading it too. There was no point to the book and we did not even find out if the guy was made to go back to Belarus. I want my two weeks back. The sad part is that this book had great potential and could have been amazing.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so wanted one more chapter to this book! What happened with those witnesses? It didn't matter to me whether Drotz was deported or not - I was already convinced of his guilt - but were those witnesses bribed??? Frustrating ending for me.

[Wendy MacKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, gloriously executed, this book with haunt with its tale of truth, redemption, and how our past both haunts and roots our future.

[Yuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the few novels I know off that deals with the issue of an immigrant to Canada from the Soviet Union charged with crimes against humanity, especially against Soviet Jews.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, lyrical novel about truth, heritage, and memory.
I interviewed the author for the New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-singi...

[Karen Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCormack presents us with a moving story of a young Canadian lawyer, Leah, who takes on the challenge (not easily) of bringing to justice a war criminal (Drozd) from Stalin's murderous regime of the 1930's. Those who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in knowing more about this rarely written about region of Belarus will find interest in this book.

In spite of the violence of the regime as the genesis for this story, McCormack is largely nuanced in her depiction of it, providing us with evidence of what took place, rather than the violence of those scenes.

Some reviewers have suggested that this book is a "thriller", but I find this characterization misleading. While there is a tension building as the story line proceeds, the plot is not solely action-driven. McCormack has given us a story with imageable and relatable characters, and has taken time to explore what has made them who they are.

McCormack provides us with a very readable book, and it may be tempting to breeze through it. But those who do may miss the beauty of McCormack's prose, the subtle humour, and the underlying meaning.

This is a deeply moving book that investigates truth and memory. In the lives of Leah Jarvis and Stefan Drozd, McCormack challenges us to consider the impact of our life circumstances on who we have become.

[Karen Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCormack presents us with a moving story of a young Canadian lawyer, Leah, who takes on the challenge (not easily) of bringing to justice a war criminal (Drozd) from Stalin's murderous regime of the 1930's. Those who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in knowing more about this rarely written about region of Belarus will find interest in this book.

In spite of the violence of the regime as the genesis for this story, McCormack is largely nuanced in her depiction of it, providing us with evidence of what took place, rather than the violence of those scenes.

Some reviewers have suggested that this book is a "thriller", but I find this characterization misleading. While there is a tension building as the story line proceeds, the plot is not solely action-driven. McCormack has given us a story with imageable and relatable characters, and has taken time to explore what has made them who they are.

McCormack provides us with a very readable book, and it may be tempting to breeze through it. But those who do may miss the beauty of McCormack's prose, the subtle humour, and the underlying meaning.

This is a deeply moving book that investigates truth and memory. In the lives of Leah Jarvis and Stefan Drozd, McCormack challenges us to consider the impact of our life circumstances on who we have become.

[Jodie Siu · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, heartbreaking, terrifying and stunning book. Gorgeous writing and a wonderful protagonist. How do our circumstances support or destroy us? Can we change? What is justice and is it worth pursuing after all this time?

Some beautiful quotes around grief and living that really struck me:

"Perhaps it had been worth it to her, though. She realizes this with a flicker of surprise, something that cuts through her wretchedness for a second. If he had stayed, would she have had [the others]? His absence, then - an accidental legacy. A gap, with one person after another falling into it, becoming hers. Only on loan, these people, as it turns out. But hers for a while."

"The very last thing she wants to know, a brutal, queasy truth. That there is no life she can live that will not be pierced with agonizing losses. [...] That her only chance is to go out to meet these losses, these casualties [...] Only this will allow her to throw herself into her own life, into the chaos of living, to wrestle with its risks, its scarred beauty."

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do I torture myself by reading a book that deals with painful subjects? But I do, and my faith in humanity goes down a notch and also goes up a notch to create an equilibrium.

The book ended with open ending. In fact a few open endings. But I thought it was the right decision, for the subject matters themselves had no clear answers nor were they black or white issues. I've my personal feelings about deportation of war/ political criminals, in this case, a man who participated in a political repression in Belarus before WWII, under NKVD. This book is the author's but law as the guiding light.

It was the protagonist, Leah, whose voice that told the stories, as a lawyer who worked on the case and her personal stories that was most compelling. It was hunting, but in a good way. I credit that to the author who writing was just right for the subject and also beautiful.

Warning: There are several torture scenes and abuses.

[Whittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The descriptive writing in this book is so detailed and beautiful; the author has a way to put human experiences into words that capture feelings most of us wouldn’t know entirely how to describe. I found the story to be a fantastic way to explore morals, judgment, and professional/personal relationships in a way that forces us to address discomfort. It’s bothersome to not know whether something is good or bad. As humans we try so hard to put things into boxes and for so many reasons they never entirely fit the way we want. Things aren’t as black and white as they seem, even though we need them to be for our own comfort and moral compasses. I love the way Leah’s personal journey of getting to know her identity is foiled with the origin story of a man from such a different time and place, a man who ends up opposing her professionally and culturally decades later. I look forward to reading more from Judith McCormack!

[Carol Annett]

The Singing Forest is well deserving of The New York Times recognition as one of the 10 best historical novels of 2021. But it not only a story of the tens of thousands of murders by the Soviet NKVD in Belarus between 1937 and 1941 but a well written mystery with some interesting and endearing characters. The young lawyer working on a deportation case of a suspected war criminal for example has an eccentric family - 3 uncles and an aunt who raised her that provided some lightness to the horrors of what happened in Belarus. This book is not just a captivating read you won't want to put down but the author raises many big questions/issues to which there are no clear answers, such as why people do evil things and what are truths and lies and how there are different perceptions of truth - questions that are important for all readers to grapple with.

[krysley]

I put in hours of this audiobook before realizing the storyline was going absolutely nowhere. For such an interesting premise, there was barely anything about it in those beginning hours. In fact, we heard more about Leah Jarvis' daydreams (what was up with those?) than anything about the war criminal.

The narrator, Carlotta Brentan, had atrocious voices for all the male characters. They were hilariously robotic or staccato or sounded sick. They simply weren't good at all. Brentan's narration of Leah wasn't bad at all, but for a book that a number of male characters off the bat, it really needed someone who had a repertoire of voices.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do I torture myself by reading a book that deals with painful subjects? But I do, and my faith in humanity goes down a notch and also goes up a notch to create an equilibrium.

The book ended with open ending. In fact a few open endings. But I thought it was the right decision, for the subject matters themselves had no clear answers nor were they black or white issues. I've my personal feelings about deportation of war/ political criminals, in this case, a man who participated in a political repression in Belarus before WWII, under NKVD. This book is the author's but law and moral as the guiding light.

It was the protagonist, Leah, whose voice that told the stories, as a lawyer who worked on the case and her personal stories that was most compelling. It was hunting, but in a good way. I credit that to the author who writing was just right for the subject and also beautiful.

Warning: There are several torture scenes and abuses.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Problematic. The plot line that drives the story, an extradition trial concerning an alleged NKVD torturer, is somehow turned into an afterthought, and though we get a book filled with wonderful writing about family, love, guilt, and the nature of evil, we're ultimately left in the lurch by an inconclusive ending.

I really enjoyed the book, didn't want it to end, and ironically, it didn't really end though there certainly was a last page. Leaving a story hanging is almost always too clever a ploy. It's as if the author didn't have the courage of her craft, or enough faith in her readers, or was just too ambiguous in her own emotional involvement.

Too bad. Could have been really good.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably any time in history would be an unsettling time to read this book, but at this particular point in history - with Russia and Belarus invading Ukraine - this book offers both unpleasant history and a foreboding prescience.

The novel is set in present day Toronto and pre-WWII Belarus. Leah, an inexperienced lawyer in Toronto is given the task of finding evidence against elderly Stephan Drozd, accused of war crimes in the Stalin era murders in Belarus.

The author does an nice job of creating backgrounds for both main characters that very believably shape their lives and personalities.

This not really a criticism, but do not expect any nicely tied-up plot threads, or really even any conclusiveness at the end of this book. As is the way with most human behaviour, both good and evil, it is largely blurred lines and grey areas. It seems that the author chose to leave questions unanswered, in spite of how uncomfortable that is for the reader.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was so much I liked about this book, but a few nagging things kept me from loving it. There's alot of story here and it is told well ~ the human condition displayed in the main characters, the agonizing details of war and death, and the quest for truth.
The search for the father seemed late for her stage of life and didn't go anywhere. And the end.... let me just say I wish there were a few more pages.

[Dorothy Mahoney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leah Jarvis, a young lawyer deals with the complex issues of a deportation case of an elderly man accused of war crimes in Belarus and a mass grave of thousands killed by Stalin's secret police.
"These people who think they can get through a war with clean hands are dreaming. They have no idea what war is like," states Stefan Drodz in his own defense. How reliable are the few remaining witnesses and can truth be a purchased commodity.

[Kathy Kostuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The intertwining of story and timelines, although sometimes confusing(only because my husband and I read aloud to each other), were interesting and challenging. The description of the main character’s mind at work was jumbled like I’m sure her trauma laden life created it. To say I enjoyed it is not entirely true as some of the story description were of brutal events and were difficult to read. I wanted to hear this story though. It’s an important historical story.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many conflicting feelings about this book. It was a slow start and took me awhile to get into it, but once I did I was really invested in the story. It’s so timely to read about Soviet war crimes with the state of the world right now. But I felt so unfulfilled and with so many questions left unanswered that I just felt empty upon finishing it.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. Not for me. I finished it but had to pull myself through most of it, skimming the brutality and hateful behaviour. Personally I didn’t like any of the characters and so I found nothing to hold onto during this dismal read. The author turns a phrase well though. The writing itself became the only reason to plow on.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* wow, this was a really wild read! even after i read the description i was surprised at all the turns and such in this! good read though, would buy!