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Book Review of The Madonnas of Leningrad

The Madonnas of Leningrad
reviewed on + 102 more book reviews


I heard about this book from (I think) the library's book review emails and thought it would be fascinating, so I added it to my wish list on PBS. I think the big draw for me was the Russian aspect of the book, but I'm not sure. Anyway I started reading it at 9pm; when I went to bed at 11:30, I was on page 180. I completed the rest of the book the next day during my lunch break, except for the additional info in the back which I read the following day. In the end I was a bit disappointed with it. I think she accomplished her purpose, to show what it's like in the mind of a woman with Alzheimer's. But I also think there was too little character development for my taste. I found out from the additional info that the author has only done short stories and poetry up âtil now, so I think that accounts for the brevity of the novel and the lack of depth in the characters. I've already posted in back on PBS as there is a 14 person waiting list for it. I hope someone else will enjoy it more than I did.