Ice Road ~ Gillian Sovo

Ice Road ~ Gillian Sovo

Medium soft cover
Crease in front cover but generally good condition

A sweeping historical novel set in 1930s Leningrad, during the tightening grip of Stalinist Russia. The story unfolds through the eyes of Irina Davydovna, a cleaner who has little interest in politics but finds herself entangled in the lives of those who are deeply affected by the regime. As Stalin turns against the city, Irina becomes a witness to the unraveling of ideals and the rise of fear, loyalty, and survival.

The novel interweaves the personal and the political, focusing on characters like Boris Aleksandrovich, a committed revolutionary, and his daughter Natasha, whose fate becomes a focal point of emotional and ideological conflict. Slovos narrative captures the tension between public heroism and private suffering, especially through the dramatization of the Chelyuskin expeditiona failed Arctic voyage turned propaganda triumph. Irinas journey through this event becomes a metaphor for resilience and transformation in a time of upheaval.

With its rich characterizations and evocative setting, Ice Road explores the cost of idealism and the quiet strength of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.