I have mixed feelings on this one. While historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, I had yet to read a book about this plot point-an American who choose to immigrate to Soviet Russia. It seemed so backwards to me, and something I definitely wanted to learn more about. Florence had felt let down by the America she had been born and raised in. It was post WWI and she was captivated by the revolution in Russia. Florence decides to leave her American family and become a revolutionary in Russia. It is then that her story takes a dark turn as Russia enters the dark Stalin era. The book alternates between Florence's story and her son Julian's story-which is basically present day. I felt like this book dragged and I would struggle to read even 20 pages at night. I very much cared for the characters, but the descriptions and plot moved very, very slow. There are still parts of Florence's story that I am not sure belong to what piece of the puzzle of her life. Overall I would give this work a try if you are looking for a different view of Russia during the Stalin regime. Thank you Penguin First to Read and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this work.

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