Daughters of Victory
Russia, 1917, and the USSR, 1940s: Svetlana Vasilyevna Petrova defies her aristocratic family and joins the Russian Revolution, becoming a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. This decision leads her to passion, ten years’ imprisonment, an abandoned daughter, and a burning desire for revenge on the brutal Bolshevik assassin Orlova. Twenty-five years later, during the Nazi invasion of the USSR, Svetlana’s granddaughter, Mila, arrives at Svetlana’s isolated farm, sent there for safety as the war advances. Mila yearns to fight the invaders and joins the resistance, while her grandmother struggles with long held family secrets. Secrets that may destroy them both.
This dual-timeline story of two women, both struggling for liberation and for family, paints a vast yet personal picture of the choices and sacrifices made during times of conflict. Both women are stubborn, idealistic—grandmother and granddaughter indeed. Mistakes are made and trust is shattered as the complex story plays out.
I confess I would have liked more depth in Svetlana’s early story. Although the author explains why Svetlana abandoned her aristocratic roots to fight for the Revolution, I remained curious. I craved more emotional grit and nuance to flesh out that life-changing decision. However, Svetlana’s later life and the sacrifices she makes for her daughter and granddaughter ring true. I found Mila’s characterization more believable—an idealistic teenager, wanting to battle the invaders, using any weapon she can.
Gabriella Saab has based both women upon historical figures, and a thorough author’s note provides more information and background. She has created a sweeping novel of revolution, revenge, and passion: a tale of strong and amazing women, and their desire for freedom and family, that proves well worth the reader’s time.
