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A Train to Moscow
In post–World War II Russia, a girl must reconcile a tragic past with her hope for the future in this powerful and poignant novel about family secrets, passion and loss, perseverance and ambition.
In a small, provincial town behind the Iron Curtain, Sasha lives in a house full of secrets, one of which is her own dream of becoming an actress. When she leaves for Moscow to audition for drama school, she defies her mother and grandparents and abandons her first love, Andrei.
Before she leaves, Sasha discovers the hidden war journal of her uncle Kolya, an artist still missing in action years after the war has ended. His pages expose the official lies and the forbidden truth of Stalin’s brutality. Kolya’s revelations and his tragic love story guide Sasha through drama school and cement her determination to live a thousand lives onstage. After graduation, she begins acting in Leningrad, where Andrei, now a Communist Party apparatchik, becomes a censor of her work. As a past secret comes to light, Sasha’s ambitions converge with Andrei’s duties, and Sasha must decide if her dreams are truly worth the necessary sacrifice and if, as her grandmother likes to say, all will indeed be well.
In a small, provincial town behind the Iron Curtain, Sasha lives in a house full of secrets, one of which is her own dream of becoming an actress. When she leaves for Moscow to audition for drama school, she defies her mother and grandparents and abandons her first love, Andrei.
Before she leaves, Sasha discovers the hidden war journal of her uncle Kolya, an artist still missing in action years after the war has ended. His pages expose the official lies and the forbidden truth of Stalin’s brutality. Kolya’s revelations and his tragic love story guide Sasha through drama school and cement her determination to live a thousand lives onstage. After graduation, she begins acting in Leningrad, where Andrei, now a Communist Party apparatchik, becomes a censor of her work. As a past secret comes to light, Sasha’s ambitions converge with Andrei’s duties, and Sasha must decide if her dreams are truly worth the necessary sacrifice and if, as her grandmother likes to say, all will indeed be well.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 755 reviews
April 14, 2022
I debated reading this. Thinking I would do my own self imposed sanction on Russia. But not all Russians are Putin supporters.
Sasha is a young girl who dreams. Dreams themselves being a defiant act. She hopes of becoming an actress in post war Russia in Moscow. A dangerous proposition if you live under the oppressive regime. Dreams don’t exist here. Survival does. Dreams are a luxury for the elite. But after finding her uncle’s journal, an artist forced to become a soldier, she knows she must escape. But escape isn’t what we in the western world would think. Characters she portrays enable her to slip into another skin rather than living her own life under the lies and corruption of the regime.
Gorokhova delivers a poetic, impactful and authentic story of Sasha, her horrific family history & the brutal world in which she lives. Forbidden Love, disappointment, hopelessness- themes that are “unpatriotic” under the iron curtain.
What is happening in Ukraine are the unthinkable horrors that happened decades ago. The Russian people being fed lies by this regime and the proverb: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Add in believe no evil: Live strong. Keeping the population in a fog of fear by intimidation, ignorance and silence.
5⭐️
Interestingly enough, the author herself left Russia and resides in the U.S. now. Much of this story parallels her own plight out of the motherland.
Sasha is a young girl who dreams. Dreams themselves being a defiant act. She hopes of becoming an actress in post war Russia in Moscow. A dangerous proposition if you live under the oppressive regime. Dreams don’t exist here. Survival does. Dreams are a luxury for the elite. But after finding her uncle’s journal, an artist forced to become a soldier, she knows she must escape. But escape isn’t what we in the western world would think. Characters she portrays enable her to slip into another skin rather than living her own life under the lies and corruption of the regime.
Gorokhova delivers a poetic, impactful and authentic story of Sasha, her horrific family history & the brutal world in which she lives. Forbidden Love, disappointment, hopelessness- themes that are “unpatriotic” under the iron curtain.
What is happening in Ukraine are the unthinkable horrors that happened decades ago. The Russian people being fed lies by this regime and the proverb: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Add in believe no evil: Live strong. Keeping the population in a fog of fear by intimidation, ignorance and silence.
5⭐️
Interestingly enough, the author herself left Russia and resides in the U.S. now. Much of this story parallels her own plight out of the motherland.
March 4, 2022
Read this one for a cover quote, and absolutely devoured it: a taut, high-wire masterpiece that is just the read for today's troubled headlines. Rebellious aspiring actress Sasha comes of age in the pressure-cooker world of the postwar Soviet Union, battling oppressive Party politics, an enigmatic lover turned political censor, and the buried secrets of her own family, which threaten to upset the fragile balance of survival. An unforgettable portrait of artistic struggle, strangled love, and undying hope.
February 4, 2022
"Our system, if you think of it, is pure genius: executioners and victims are the same people. The engine of death has been in motion for decades, and no one is guilty because everyone is guilty." ~Andrei
Rating: 4.5 stars
It's difficult to put into words how much I appreciate stories such as these. History books can give me facts and figures, but an historical fiction novel, such as this one, finds a way to humanize it. It grants us a brief view into a life we've never lived in hopes that we get a better sense of the emotional impact and personal toll that other humans have had to endure or live through.
A Train to Moscow tells the story of a girl named Sasha who grows up during the days of the Iron Curtain in the 1950s-60s and dreams of being an actress. To Sasha, becoming an actress...where you can pretend, if only for a few minutes, that you have escaped the world you live in is what calls her to dream. Everyone she knows or encounters has had their life permanently altered in some way by the political regime. From something as horrible as having a loved one dragged away for an unknown crime and never returning, to having to wait for hours in a food line.
What makes this story unique is how it focuses on all the decisions one might make in the course of their life. It's these decisions - both big and small that ends up completely shaping a person's life. From an early age Sasha is determined to set her own course in life and become an actress. Others fall victim to living the life that is expected of them. While even others attempt to find a way out only to be exactly where they never wanted to be.
The main story has a narration style of storytelling and if I'm honest, it did take a chapter or two for me to settle in. At first, when I started reading the story, I thought I had a general idea of what to expect. I thought it would all be sad or perhaps that I'd be angry at the unfairness of it all, but that's not how it turned out to be. It evoked many different emotions from me that I wasn't anticipating. And while I felt those sad and angry emotions there was also a little bit of everything else, including hope.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and this period of history.
Rating: 4.5 stars
It's difficult to put into words how much I appreciate stories such as these. History books can give me facts and figures, but an historical fiction novel, such as this one, finds a way to humanize it. It grants us a brief view into a life we've never lived in hopes that we get a better sense of the emotional impact and personal toll that other humans have had to endure or live through.
A Train to Moscow tells the story of a girl named Sasha who grows up during the days of the Iron Curtain in the 1950s-60s and dreams of being an actress. To Sasha, becoming an actress...where you can pretend, if only for a few minutes, that you have escaped the world you live in is what calls her to dream. Everyone she knows or encounters has had their life permanently altered in some way by the political regime. From something as horrible as having a loved one dragged away for an unknown crime and never returning, to having to wait for hours in a food line.
What makes this story unique is how it focuses on all the decisions one might make in the course of their life. It's these decisions - both big and small that ends up completely shaping a person's life. From an early age Sasha is determined to set her own course in life and become an actress. Others fall victim to living the life that is expected of them. While even others attempt to find a way out only to be exactly where they never wanted to be.
The main story has a narration style of storytelling and if I'm honest, it did take a chapter or two for me to settle in. At first, when I started reading the story, I thought I had a general idea of what to expect. I thought it would all be sad or perhaps that I'd be angry at the unfairness of it all, but that's not how it turned out to be. It evoked many different emotions from me that I wasn't anticipating. And while I felt those sad and angry emotions there was also a little bit of everything else, including hope.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and this period of history.
February 21, 2022
Elena Gorokhova has written two popular memoirs, A Mountain of Crumbs and Russian Tattoo, about her life in Soviet Russia. I’ve acquired both books due to the outstanding reviews, but sadly I haven’t picked them up yet.
A Train to Moscow is a work historical fiction set in Russia just after World War II. It’s Sasha’s story as she leaves her home for Moscow to audition for a prestigious drama program. She also leaves her love, Andrei, behind, as well as her family.
Just before she leaves, Sasha finds her artist uncle’s journal. Her uncle Kolya is missing in action from the war. The journal is an expose’ of Stalin’s reign of terror. Somehow her uncle’s most intimate stories light a fire for Sasha helping her though drama school. She crosses paths with Andrei as he becomes a censor of her work after graduation.
A Train to Moscow is a richly told story that takes its time coming together with gorgeous writing that kept me invested. It’s a tale of family and the secrets that can fester, friendship, and how dreams keep us hopeful and longing for better. I’m eagerly looking forward to picking up the author’s memoirs now.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
A Train to Moscow is a work historical fiction set in Russia just after World War II. It’s Sasha’s story as she leaves her home for Moscow to audition for a prestigious drama program. She also leaves her love, Andrei, behind, as well as her family.
Just before she leaves, Sasha finds her artist uncle’s journal. Her uncle Kolya is missing in action from the war. The journal is an expose’ of Stalin’s reign of terror. Somehow her uncle’s most intimate stories light a fire for Sasha helping her though drama school. She crosses paths with Andrei as he becomes a censor of her work after graduation.
A Train to Moscow is a richly told story that takes its time coming together with gorgeous writing that kept me invested. It’s a tale of family and the secrets that can fester, friendship, and how dreams keep us hopeful and longing for better. I’m eagerly looking forward to picking up the author’s memoirs now.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
February 1, 2022
I loved this book about the Soviet Union in the years after World War II. Told through the eyes of Sasha, a precocious girl from a provincial town who transforms into a strong-willed woman, I learned so much about Soviet history, culture, and politics from this tumultuous time behind the Iron Curtain. Sasha becomes an actress in the country’s prestigious theater, which comes at a great cost to her family and her romantic life. The way the author describes how actors inhabit their characters is so vivid, you can picture the scenes in your head.
The story is at times heartbreaking yet hopeful, challenging yet fulfilling. Even amidst the harsh political times, she finds time to have friends, fall in love, and create her art. Life goes on but there’s always a tinge of fear lurking around every corner. And the flashbacks to her uncle in the trenches of World War II were some of the most memorable scenes from any WWII book I’ve read.
The story is at times heartbreaking yet hopeful, challenging yet fulfilling. Even amidst the harsh political times, she finds time to have friends, fall in love, and create her art. Life goes on but there’s always a tinge of fear lurking around every corner. And the flashbacks to her uncle in the trenches of World War II were some of the most memorable scenes from any WWII book I’ve read.
February 12, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up. I received access to this book as part of Amazon Prime First Reads for Feb 2022. I was struck by the summary/description of this book, so I figured I’d give it a try. I love historical fiction and I learned a lot from this book, but it was quite different than what I expected based on the summary. It follows the story of Sasha as she grows up during the Cold War. She experiences friendship and love, but also a lot of loss throughout the book. I was touched by the ending of the novel and I found the hopeful turn of events for Sasha to end the story nicely.
However, overall, this book was just all right for me. It was written well, but it took a long time to get into the novel. The author often has large time lapses between chapters (especially in the first “Act” of the book) without labeling it, so if can be multiple pages within a chapter before I can place how much time has lapsed. I don’t really even know what year the story started in, or even ended in. Since I’m not an expert on Russian history, having a clearer frame of reference would’ve helped me, especially in the beginning of the book. It was hard to connect to the story and Sasha’s journey when I was trying to figure out how old she was in those moments.
The story did pick up speed and it kept me interested throughout the book. I do not personally connect with Sasha as a character (or with anyone in the book, really), but I can see how she is revolutionary for the time and understand the choices she makes in her life. The novel is steeped in loss and grief, which I expected due to the time period, but has its moments of peace and hope. The ending was poignant for this reason…it was the first time in the book I felt like Sasha could find some permanent happiness.
So overall, it was a good read, but not one I would recommend to a lot of people. This is a good book for those interested/knowledgeable about Russia in the post-WWII era.
However, overall, this book was just all right for me. It was written well, but it took a long time to get into the novel. The author often has large time lapses between chapters (especially in the first “Act” of the book) without labeling it, so if can be multiple pages within a chapter before I can place how much time has lapsed. I don’t really even know what year the story started in, or even ended in. Since I’m not an expert on Russian history, having a clearer frame of reference would’ve helped me, especially in the beginning of the book. It was hard to connect to the story and Sasha’s journey when I was trying to figure out how old she was in those moments.
The story did pick up speed and it kept me interested throughout the book. I do not personally connect with Sasha as a character (or with anyone in the book, really), but I can see how she is revolutionary for the time and understand the choices she makes in her life. The novel is steeped in loss and grief, which I expected due to the time period, but has its moments of peace and hope. The ending was poignant for this reason…it was the first time in the book I felt like Sasha could find some permanent happiness.
So overall, it was a good read, but not one I would recommend to a lot of people. This is a good book for those interested/knowledgeable about Russia in the post-WWII era.
March 14, 2024
It is said that when you write, it is best to write about what you know. This is evident in this, Elena Gorokhova's first novel. I had read her memoir, A Mountain of Crumbs and her continuation, Russian Tattoo: A Memoir . Both are vivid recountings of her life growing up in Russia. It was impressive then as it is now, to view her literary production in English, her second language. It has proven useful for me to compare these books because this novel obviously demonstrates her knowledge of life there, as well as the physical atmospheres.
This story tells of Sasha, a young lady, who was raised during the Iron Curtain in a small village of Ivanovo. From an early age she was spellbound with acting and plays, never deviating from her desire to become an actor. Despite much hardship and family misfortunes, she was able to travel to Moscow to realize her dream. The author has clearly described Sasha's experiences, her frustrations and her attitudes toward the Communist Party and the need to follow questionable rules.
Common in all Soviet society, especially the Party apparatchik and the Soviet educational system was lying , a prevalent practice which she alluded to in her memoirs and also throughout this book. It was what she referred to as, vranyo , a pretense, or deception game. The government officials or a teacher would present “facts” about their system, the individuals knew these were untruths and everyone knew the real situation, despite their words and information. This feature added slight humor and often discomfort related to many issues in her narrative.
Throughout this novel, Gorokhova interwove passages from Sasha's missing uncle's journals, powerful chronicles written of WWII, the pain and suffering of the military and the civilians. Much of the atmosphere in the book is often grim and dark, yet she conveyed this all clearly and with often undiminished hope.
“The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they're lying, they know we know they're lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.”
― Elena Gorokhova, A Mountain of Crumbs
This story tells of Sasha, a young lady, who was raised during the Iron Curtain in a small village of Ivanovo. From an early age she was spellbound with acting and plays, never deviating from her desire to become an actor. Despite much hardship and family misfortunes, she was able to travel to Moscow to realize her dream. The author has clearly described Sasha's experiences, her frustrations and her attitudes toward the Communist Party and the need to follow questionable rules.
Common in all Soviet society, especially the Party apparatchik and the Soviet educational system was lying , a prevalent practice which she alluded to in her memoirs and also throughout this book. It was what she referred to as, vranyo , a pretense, or deception game. The government officials or a teacher would present “facts” about their system, the individuals knew these were untruths and everyone knew the real situation, despite their words and information. This feature added slight humor and often discomfort related to many issues in her narrative.
Throughout this novel, Gorokhova interwove passages from Sasha's missing uncle's journals, powerful chronicles written of WWII, the pain and suffering of the military and the civilians. Much of the atmosphere in the book is often grim and dark, yet she conveyed this all clearly and with often undiminished hope.
“The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they're lying, they know we know they're lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.”
― Elena Gorokhova, A Mountain of Crumbs
April 11, 2022
This was my February(I think) free read from Amazon.
Started off well and I thought it would be a great read but as I went on I just felt no connection with the characters, or even care much for the story.
To be honest, I felt I finished this because I hate to leave a book unread but wouldn't read again.
Started off well and I thought it would be a great read but as I went on I just felt no connection with the characters, or even care much for the story.
To be honest, I felt I finished this because I hate to leave a book unread but wouldn't read again.
November 6, 2022
Историята е обещаваща и започва добре. В СССР през 1953 г. три деца - Саша, Марик и Андрей - се опитват да държат света на разстояние чрез приятелството си, без да подозират какво ги очаква.
Горохова добросъвестно е придала достатъчно сталинистки облик на сюжета и част от героите. Това обаче просто не е достатъчно. Героите след началото са заковани в много тясна матрица, без никаква дълбочина и развитие. Саша и нейните актьорски стремежи са особено ужасно изпълнени. Самата Саша е съвършено лишена от най-обикновена емпатия, по никакъв начин не е в състояние да изпита даже грам съпричастност. Самият и образ е зле пресъздаден - плитко, неискрено, отвлечено и не��сно. В нея просто няма нищо и ми беше противна.
Андрей и Марик бяха по-добре изградени, но с много малко участие в сюжета. Като цяло - жалко за пропиления потенциал, определено е имало такъв, но не и с този начин на писане. А краят беше смехотворен - и само затвърди небрежно и неграмотно изградения образ на Саша в емоционално отношение.
2,5⭐️
Горохова добросъвестно е придала достатъчно сталинистки облик на сюжета и част от героите. Това обаче просто не е достатъчно. Героите след началото са заковани в много тясна матрица, без никаква дълбочина и развитие. Саша и нейните актьорски стремежи са особено ужасно изпълнени. Самата Саша е съвършено лишена от най-обикновена емпатия, по никакъв начин не е в състояние да изпита даже грам съпричастност. Самият и образ е зле пресъздаден - плитко, неискрено, отвлечено и не��сно. В нея просто няма нищо и ми беше противна.
Андрей и Марик бяха по-добре изградени, но с много малко участие в сюжета. Като цяло - жалко за пропиления потенциал, определено е имало такъв, но не и с този начин на писане. А краят беше смехотворен - и само затвърди небрежно и неграмотно изградения образ на Саша в емоционално отношение.
2,5⭐️
March 13, 2022
This is an extremely well done and wonderfully crafted novel of life in the Soviet Union. Ms. Gorokhova has written two non-fiction books set in the Soviet Union (or in the US dealing with the life of Soviet immigrants), both of which I rated highly. However, with this first work of fiction, the author far surpasses her prior work. This novel tells the story of a young woman who grows up in a small Russian town, where her family is still dealing with issues arising from World War II as well as the current government and environment. The town of her youth is full of secrets and betrayals – and, of course, young love. Our heroine (Sasha) wants to be an actress (against the wishes of her family and friends). She moves to Moscow and goes through the arduous task of admission, passing and finally success in theater school and the theater. Her deep love (Andrei from her hometown) becomes a successful Party leader in the Ministry of Culture. The great beauty of the novel is the development of the question “What is truth?”. Is it the Russia seen, desired and propagated by Andrei and his cohorts? Is it the life that becomes reality on the stage? The way the author uses theater vs soviet life and beliefs was, for me, incredible. A short example - - “Maybe she has learned to act by pretending to be someone else, and this pretending, paradoxically, has become more truth-telling than their real life. In the three years they haven’t seen each other, Sasha has learned a lot about make-believe and Andrei has learned a lot about real life, or is it the other way around?”. I highly recommend this novel if you have any interest in life in the Soviet Union (which of course is quite relevant to our world today).
February 17, 2022
The only thing worse than taking too long to get to the point is when the protagonist's brainwashed boyfriend decides that his father is a liar, because "we don't treat inmates of our prison camps like that!"
Perhaps if the author had approached it with a little glimpse of Sasha's childhood, jumped forward to her audition and then flashed back from time to time as interactions between her and Andrei as adults reminded her of their shared childhood, it might be different; but at this point, I'm tired of waiting. (Oh and the author doesn't bother to label time jumps, so you don't know if it's the next day or five years in the future until the protag tells you otherwise. UGH!)
Perhaps if the author had approached it with a little glimpse of Sasha's childhood, jumped forward to her audition and then flashed back from time to time as interactions between her and Andrei as adults reminded her of their shared childhood, it might be different; but at this point, I'm tired of waiting. (Oh and the author doesn't bother to label time jumps, so you don't know if it's the next day or five years in the future until the protag tells you otherwise. UGH!)
July 1, 2022
I was deeply disappointed by this novel.
I have both the author's autobiographies - A Mountain of Crumbs and Russian Tattoo - and I loved them equally. I thought "If she can make such interesting books about her own life, surely she'll write a stunning novel when she doesn't have to stick to what actually happened".
I was wrong. Very wrong.
A Train to Moscow was dull, dull, dull. I didn't care about most of the characters, and found the plot to be overly slow and plodding. It was absolutely not what I expected. I was mildly intrigued by the story of her uncle during the war but not interested in Sasha's on again off again romance with her childhood sweetheart.
I will stick to her non-fiction in future and recommend her earlier books highly. This one is a miss for me.
I have both the author's autobiographies - A Mountain of Crumbs and Russian Tattoo - and I loved them equally. I thought "If she can make such interesting books about her own life, surely she'll write a stunning novel when she doesn't have to stick to what actually happened".
I was wrong. Very wrong.
A Train to Moscow was dull, dull, dull. I didn't care about most of the characters, and found the plot to be overly slow and plodding. It was absolutely not what I expected. I was mildly intrigued by the story of her uncle during the war but not interested in Sasha's on again off again romance with her childhood sweetheart.
I will stick to her non-fiction in future and recommend her earlier books highly. This one is a miss for me.
March 23, 2022
Not what I was looking for, I got excited to read this book as the cover was really compelling and as a huge WW2 fan I thought this story was going to be one of my favorites, but I got my hopes too high.
the book and the story were good but I feel like the characters were too weak, I was all over the place and I couldn't really feel connected to them, I was always trying to understand more about them and the story but I just felt lost.
I wanted to like this book as I was searching for more about Rusia and Ukraine war stories but still, I never find what I was looking for.
The story of Sasha broke my heart a few times, I felt like she wasn't getting what she wanted especially around the love of her life, he had other plans. but still, I feel like Sasha deserves better, maybe a better storyline or a stronger will to move on. she fought hard to get what she wanted even if many try to tell her otherwise. the way people saw women at those time were terrible like we didn't belong or matter at all, so Sasha's dreams were not very well seen by many.
the Narrations by: Elizabeth Knowelden were great I really enjoy her voice and the strength she gave to the characters, especially to Sasha.
Overall it was good but not for me.
the book and the story were good but I feel like the characters were too weak, I was all over the place and I couldn't really feel connected to them, I was always trying to understand more about them and the story but I just felt lost.
I wanted to like this book as I was searching for more about Rusia and Ukraine war stories but still, I never find what I was looking for.
The story of Sasha broke my heart a few times, I felt like she wasn't getting what she wanted especially around the love of her life, he had other plans. but still, I feel like Sasha deserves better, maybe a better storyline or a stronger will to move on. she fought hard to get what she wanted even if many try to tell her otherwise. the way people saw women at those time were terrible like we didn't belong or matter at all, so Sasha's dreams were not very well seen by many.
the Narrations by: Elizabeth Knowelden were great I really enjoy her voice and the strength she gave to the characters, especially to Sasha.
Overall it was good but not for me.
November 11, 2025
We meet Sasha when she is 7 years old and, coming home from school in Ivanovo, grabs the back of the trolley for a free ride. She is ecstatic that she had the nerve to pull it off. But when she gets home, her grandfather, a strong supporter of Stalin, beats her with his belt while her mother holds her down. What will become of this child? This child is made of steel. She learns that what her grandfather believes and Pravda writes is anything but the truth. Sasha also discovers that what she wants to be is an actress. When she finishes high school, she puts Ivanovo behind her, takes a train to Moscow to enroll in drama school.
I expected to read this just for the story, but there is so much more. It is, yes, a reflection of Russia in the time of the Soviet Union. It is also a coming of age story. There is a terrific love story - actually more than one love story which includes love of family.
There were many places that brought tears to my eyes. A very minor scene was when Sasha's grandmother gave a prisoner her bread ration. Why did she do it? That man was someone's son, too. It is human beings just trying to get through life the best way they can. It is a hard life.
All of that, but I couldn't not see what underlies all of it and that is how abhorrent is communism. I could write paragraphs about why, but I try not to get political on this site. Using the word abhorrent probably goes far enough. In any case, this novel shows rather than tells. It is good to remember Gorokhova grew up in Russia and knows whereof she writes.
I'm not positive this fully deserves the 5 stars I've colored in, but it stirred me so I cannot give it less.
I expected to read this just for the story, but there is so much more. It is, yes, a reflection of Russia in the time of the Soviet Union. It is also a coming of age story. There is a terrific love story - actually more than one love story which includes love of family.
There were many places that brought tears to my eyes. A very minor scene was when Sasha's grandmother gave a prisoner her bread ration. Why did she do it? That man was someone's son, too. It is human beings just trying to get through life the best way they can. It is a hard life.
All of that, but I couldn't not see what underlies all of it and that is how abhorrent is communism. I could write paragraphs about why, but I try not to get political on this site. Using the word abhorrent probably goes far enough. In any case, this novel shows rather than tells. It is good to remember Gorokhova grew up in Russia and knows whereof she writes.
I'm not positive this fully deserves the 5 stars I've colored in, but it stirred me so I cannot give it less.
September 24, 2024
Tedious, depressing, dull. As if the pretentious prose wasn’t bad enough, the episodic plot wanders around & characters are simultaneously unlikable + unmemorable. Somewhere around pg 50 I skipped to the final chapters & discovered a suicide preceded by confessions of familial murder to cap this lengthy slog of PeRsOnAl DiScOvErY…at which point I said fuck off & dropped it in the Goodwill bag. Maybe someone else will enjoy it…? 😶 Best of luck to them.
…But as for me? NOPE. It’s not a romance, or an epic saga, or even an interesting character study. It’s just tedious, depressing, & dull. (Yeah, I’m repeating myself. Sorry. The trauma is real. 🫠) I know Russian lit has a fine tradition of slow, wordy, dark fiction populated by miserable cogs in the machine, but if I wanted that experience I’d pick up a doorstopper classic. Kindly give me the fantasy of a happy ending in non-academic reading, hm? 🦄🌈🦋
P.S. Authors of the world, I’m begging you: STOP USING THIRD-PERSON-PRESENT. It doesn’t make you look smart. It doesn’t make you look literary. It just makes you look like an annoying blowhard.
…But as for me? NOPE. It’s not a romance, or an epic saga, or even an interesting character study. It’s just tedious, depressing, & dull. (Yeah, I’m repeating myself. Sorry. The trauma is real. 🫠) I know Russian lit has a fine tradition of slow, wordy, dark fiction populated by miserable cogs in the machine, but if I wanted that experience I’d pick up a doorstopper classic. Kindly give me the fantasy of a happy ending in non-academic reading, hm? 🦄🌈🦋
P.S. Authors of the world, I’m begging you: STOP USING THIRD-PERSON-PRESENT. It doesn’t make you look smart. It doesn’t make you look literary. It just makes you look like an annoying blowhard.
June 13, 2025
Wow. Russia...a novel that speaks of passion and hubris
Yesterday Russia invaded Ukraine. Yesterday I was near the end of this novel: A train to Moscow. Powerful writing. Holding both passion and hubris in precarious balance Masterful. Words fashioned in such a way as to both embrace a nation gripped in a stranglehold of dishonest beliefs while offering hope of redemption. My prayer is that truth and justice will come to Russia and its people so that country will finally be able to share its beauty and passion freely with all the world. Even more, that Ukrainians and indeed Russia itself, prevail over the deceit and ego of a dictator who has erroneously convinced himself that he is a great man. Read this story. You will weep but leave with a renewed hope in the goodness of people.
Yesterday Russia invaded Ukraine. Yesterday I was near the end of this novel: A train to Moscow. Powerful writing. Holding both passion and hubris in precarious balance Masterful. Words fashioned in such a way as to both embrace a nation gripped in a stranglehold of dishonest beliefs while offering hope of redemption. My prayer is that truth and justice will come to Russia and its people so that country will finally be able to share its beauty and passion freely with all the world. Even more, that Ukrainians and indeed Russia itself, prevail over the deceit and ego of a dictator who has erroneously convinced himself that he is a great man. Read this story. You will weep but leave with a renewed hope in the goodness of people.
February 4, 2022
The start to this book was slow, the storyline is pieced together in an order that seems rather chaotic. I very much enjoyed the ending. It just took a while.to get there. Sascha is a strong character and her life in Russia was very true to history which I appreciated and it gave me more chances to find other books that share the same timeline. I gave this one a 3 based on the fact that while I finished it and enjoyed the ending it is not something I would recommend.
March 25, 2022
This book offers so much to the reader. Dual narrative - Sasha, early 1950s to the 1960s; Sasha's uncle, pre-WWII to WWII.
Sasha fights - against her grandfather who pushes his Stalin ideology down her throat; her mother who reinforces the patriarch while forcing Sasha to face their reality, their position in their community.
Her grandmother, once a student of opera, understands - offering soft understanding and silent encouragement for Sasha's rebellion to become an actress.
And of course Russia in these eras - the harsh government, rigid rules, lack of opportunity and the reality of poverty.
The relevance of this story in today's world, the reality behind the Iron Curtin, how hard Russia must have fought against the tradition of Communism just to fall prey to Putin - heartbreaking tragedy.
Sasha fights - against her grandfather who pushes his Stalin ideology down her throat; her mother who reinforces the patriarch while forcing Sasha to face their reality, their position in their community.
Her grandmother, once a student of opera, understands - offering soft understanding and silent encouragement for Sasha's rebellion to become an actress.
And of course Russia in these eras - the harsh government, rigid rules, lack of opportunity and the reality of poverty.
The relevance of this story in today's world, the reality behind the Iron Curtin, how hard Russia must have fought against the tradition of Communism just to fall prey to Putin - heartbreaking tragedy.
January 29, 2022
A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova is a literary experience in 4 acts. It was one of the most unique and beautiful books I’ve read lately. Act 1 starts with Sasha, Marik and Andrei are childhood best friends living in a provincial Russian town after the end of WW II. Each is experiencing the effects and trauma of the war, and leadership of Stalin, in their own way. As they grow, their differences bring them together, but also threaten to tear them apart.
Act 2-Sasha dares to leave her family, take the titular, Train to Moscow. There she grows, exploring her new world, while still being tethered to the old world in many ways.
Act 3- A mature Sasha experiences love and loss.
Act 4- Sasha’s eyes are completely open and she experiences a loss of the world she thought she knew, and moves into a new life.
This is a beautifully told story of love and letting go. It explores the relationship between duty and want. It’s about mothers and daughters, war and peace. It’s about before and after. It’s about boundaries and freedom.
This would make a great book club book. There’s so much to explore and discuss throughout this book.
I really enjoyed learning about post-war Russia, as well as learning how the policies of the Russian state impacted so many lives during and after the war.
Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the advanced e-copy of #atraintomoscow.
Act 2-Sasha dares to leave her family, take the titular, Train to Moscow. There she grows, exploring her new world, while still being tethered to the old world in many ways.
Act 3- A mature Sasha experiences love and loss.
Act 4- Sasha’s eyes are completely open and she experiences a loss of the world she thought she knew, and moves into a new life.
This is a beautifully told story of love and letting go. It explores the relationship between duty and want. It’s about mothers and daughters, war and peace. It’s about before and after. It’s about boundaries and freedom.
This would make a great book club book. There’s so much to explore and discuss throughout this book.
I really enjoyed learning about post-war Russia, as well as learning how the policies of the Russian state impacted so many lives during and after the war.
Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the advanced e-copy of #atraintomoscow.
February 24, 2022
This was a truly great read and extremely well written.
I generally read ww2 historical fiction based in France and Paris with strong female protagonist. This gave me insight to post WW2 soviet union amd their culture, a knowledge that I knew basically nothing. It was also part of Amazon free reads for my Feb pick and I'm super happy I picked it!
I generally read ww2 historical fiction based in France and Paris with strong female protagonist. This gave me insight to post WW2 soviet union amd their culture, a knowledge that I knew basically nothing. It was also part of Amazon free reads for my Feb pick and I'm super happy I picked it!
July 29, 2024
4,5 ⭐️
This book shows us how people in Russia live, especially their thinking.
I lived with the character every experience, the desire to become an actress, and no one trusts her, the love she has for Andrei, but also the pain/disappointment behind, as well as the moment of finding her uncle's diary that she didn't know about.
*
Această carte ne arată cum este viața oamenilor din Rusia, în special, gândirea acestora.
Am trăit cu personajul fiecare trăire, dorința de a ajunge actriță, iar nimeni nu are încredere în ea, iubirea pe care o poartă pentru Andrei, dar și durerea/dezamagirea din spate, precum și momentul găsirii jurnalului unchiului ei despre care nu știa.
This book shows us how people in Russia live, especially their thinking.
I lived with the character every experience, the desire to become an actress, and no one trusts her, the love she has for Andrei, but also the pain/disappointment behind, as well as the moment of finding her uncle's diary that she didn't know about.
*
Această carte ne arată cum este viața oamenilor din Rusia, în special, gândirea acestora.
Am trăit cu personajul fiecare trăire, dorința de a ajunge actriță, iar nimeni nu are încredere în ea, iubirea pe care o poartă pentru Andrei, dar și durerea/dezamagirea din spate, precum și momentul găsirii jurnalului unchiului ei despre care nu știa.
March 22, 2022
Elena Gorokhova’s debut novel is a definite hit! She has written a beautiful and poignant novel of a woman coming of age behind the Iron Curtain. The main character Sasha lives in.a world full of secrets and as Sasha ages, she becomes rebellious against the stiff conformity of her family, battling politics and a lover turned political censor.
The beauty of Gorokhova’s words and descriptions kept me reading through the night. The reader is able to feel what it’s like to be in Russia after WWII and being someone that has your own opinions and ideas.
Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
The beauty of Gorokhova’s words and descriptions kept me reading through the night. The reader is able to feel what it’s like to be in Russia after WWII and being someone that has your own opinions and ideas.
Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
January 29, 2022
4.25 stars. I thoroughly relished this novel set behind the Iron Curtain in Russia. Immersed into the life of the main character, Sasha, I was enraptured, and at times, awestruck, by the cultural experience the author envelopes us in by means of her gorgeous writing. The story begins with a young Sasha living her childhood in a small provincial town. The texture of Sasha’s relationships with her family and friends, and her dreams for the future, set the stage for this historical fiction gem. The novel is rich in love, devastation, sadness, family secrets, fear, and hope. I was captivated.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing (and Cindy Burnett) for the advance reader copy, in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing (and Cindy Burnett) for the advance reader copy, in exchange for my honest review.
January 3, 2023
Elena Gorokhova’s “A Train to Moscow” opens with Sasha, a young girl growing up in 1950s-60s Russia and wants to be an actress when she grows up. For Sasha, that’s the easiest way to escape the realities of war, death, and poverty that have ravaged Russia for the longest time. Her family and everyone else around her have lost loved ones either to the government’s brutal regime or to war. Following the path to her dreams, in this scenario, is not easy but she does and so she takes the train to Moscow.
This is not just Sasha’s story though. We meet Andrei, her boyfriend, who she leaves behind as she chases her dreams. He is not happy about it, and they part ways. Temporarily. He turns up in her life later in a different form, a different man.
Before she leaves for Moscow, she discovers her uncle, Kolya’s diary which is a record of his experiences during World War II and in dealing with Stalin’s government. His parents and the rest of his family, like most other Russians at the time, are in denial of reality and Kolya’s diary is an eye-opener for Sasha. She is shocked as she reads about the true nature of Stalin’s rule.
Slowly, she feels the notion of truth blurring away in front of her. The theatre, the stage, and the plays she acts in becomes a metaphor for life itself with the actors being the general public.
“Acting is freedom. It’s searching for what’s real…Together with the other actors onstage and with the audience, I search for the truth—we all do—and sometimes we almost find it. That’s the essence of acting: looking for the truth. There is nothing fake about it. There is no pretending.”
And eventually we, along with Sasha, are left with one question – what is the truth?
A Train to Moscow is an engrossing read about family, history, and finding the truth in multiple realities. I would definitely pick up another of Gorokhova’s works.
This is not just Sasha’s story though. We meet Andrei, her boyfriend, who she leaves behind as she chases her dreams. He is not happy about it, and they part ways. Temporarily. He turns up in her life later in a different form, a different man.
Before she leaves for Moscow, she discovers her uncle, Kolya’s diary which is a record of his experiences during World War II and in dealing with Stalin’s government. His parents and the rest of his family, like most other Russians at the time, are in denial of reality and Kolya’s diary is an eye-opener for Sasha. She is shocked as she reads about the true nature of Stalin’s rule.
Slowly, she feels the notion of truth blurring away in front of her. The theatre, the stage, and the plays she acts in becomes a metaphor for life itself with the actors being the general public.
“Acting is freedom. It’s searching for what’s real…Together with the other actors onstage and with the audience, I search for the truth—we all do—and sometimes we almost find it. That’s the essence of acting: looking for the truth. There is nothing fake about it. There is no pretending.”
And eventually we, along with Sasha, are left with one question – what is the truth?
A Train to Moscow is an engrossing read about family, history, and finding the truth in multiple realities. I would definitely pick up another of Gorokhova’s works.
February 27, 2023
Sasha grows up in a small town Ivanovo under the Stalin regime. When as a child she listens to Three Sisters on the radio she is convinced that when she grows up she wants to move to Moscow and become an actress. She also discovers the diary of her uncle Kolya who was a soldier in ww2 and never came back (the diary was brought to the family by one of the soldiers that were with him). Reading it while seeing what happens to people in Ivanovo makes her rethink what the life in her country really is like and look at it from a different angle.
In the book we go through her childhood in Ivanovo, her working on her acting career in Moscow, and her relationship with her family, her love Andrei and her uncle Kolya whom she never met. It is so well written. So much sadness, darkness and intensity. I feel the atmosphere of her town and Moscow in the 60s. I love reading about her mom, grandmother, grandfather, Andrei, all such different characters with different ideas and lives in USSR. I love their complexity, flaws and how real they all are. Just like the conversations of the characters that feel so real and show us so much about them and the situation of the time.
I liked the whole book even though it may seem slow at some parts but as somebody who knows a lot about USSR and likes to read books and movies about those times even the slow parts included a lot for me. The ending really touched me a lot. I was crying through most of the part 4 so I would say the book was definitely very successful on me.
In the book we go through her childhood in Ivanovo, her working on her acting career in Moscow, and her relationship with her family, her love Andrei and her uncle Kolya whom she never met. It is so well written. So much sadness, darkness and intensity. I feel the atmosphere of her town and Moscow in the 60s. I love reading about her mom, grandmother, grandfather, Andrei, all such different characters with different ideas and lives in USSR. I love their complexity, flaws and how real they all are. Just like the conversations of the characters that feel so real and show us so much about them and the situation of the time.
I liked the whole book even though it may seem slow at some parts but as somebody who knows a lot about USSR and likes to read books and movies about those times even the slow parts included a lot for me. The ending really touched me a lot. I was crying through most of the part 4 so I would say the book was definitely very successful on me.
March 30, 2023
The story follows Sasha's life in the Soviet Union. Sasha is a girl stuck in a provincial town with big dreams of becoming an actress. As a child she discovers a hidden war journal left behind by her Uncle Kolya, missing in action after the Second World War. As Sasha grows up, we see how Kolya's words guide her throughout her life.
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This was a beautiful story on love and loss, while living under an oppressive state. Unfortunately, it was difficult to connect or care about any of the characters, including Sasha. There were some touching moments, and the story has a hopeful message and ending. Overall, I wish it offered a bit more detail and expanded on these themes. It was still an enjoyable read.
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This was a beautiful story on love and loss, while living under an oppressive state. Unfortunately, it was difficult to connect or care about any of the characters, including Sasha. There were some touching moments, and the story has a hopeful message and ending. Overall, I wish it offered a bit more detail and expanded on these themes. It was still an enjoyable read.
April 9, 2022
It started very slow (and a bit confusing as there were time jumps but I was not able to place them not knowing enough about Russian History) and Sasha felt very insipid as a child and emotionless, but it picked up in the middle.
It is always interesting reading about stories set in Russia in the post WW2 era, and what the Russian people had to endure and their resilience (the strength of these people!!!). But I was not able to connect with Sasha or the other characters as I was hoping for.
It doesn't help that the other 2 books I recently read set in this time and Country were written by Amor Towles and Kristin Hannah. They have such a distinctive voice and are amazing at building characters, so everything else cannot measure up to them for me (especially Amor Towles).
It was not a bad novel but I felt like it was lacking something.
It is always interesting reading about stories set in Russia in the post WW2 era, and what the Russian people had to endure and their resilience (the strength of these people!!!). But I was not able to connect with Sasha or the other characters as I was hoping for.
It doesn't help that the other 2 books I recently read set in this time and Country were written by Amor Towles and Kristin Hannah. They have such a distinctive voice and are amazing at building characters, so everything else cannot measure up to them for me (especially Amor Towles).
It was not a bad novel but I felt like it was lacking something.
April 30, 2023
5⭐ - this was SO GOOD. I love historical fiction and I am interested in the Soviet Union/Russian history. The writing is something you need to get used to but at the end it worked out for me. I still think about Andrei and Sasha. Even if they are fiction, this could've happen in real life.
July 7, 2022
This was a beautifully written story about a rebel of a girl turned woman who wanted so badly to blaze her own trail but was stifled left and right by the expectations of her family, horrors of war, and love for a man who didn’t see her worth. I loved how each section of the book was broken into acts to match her love for the theatre, her dream career.
February 17, 2022
I don't understand why Sasha was so drawn to Andrei, a guy who taunted Marik mercilessly, knowing what would happen if Marik threw the bomb into the fire, and she didn't condemn him afterward, a guy who could crush a grasshopper between his fingers, a guy who became a Party operative and admittedly crushed hundreds of his compatriots. Nevertheless, I followed her story with rapt attention. I liked Marik and Grandma and Lara and Kolya. All the characters were three-dimensional. The book was quite readable, the story was a page-turner. Very well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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