On October 1941, in a small village outside Moscow, Serafima bids farewell to Vitya, a Soviet officer going to the front. With only moments left together, she places a cross around her beloved’s neck and reluctantly releases him into a cruel world where nothing is certain, especially whether she will ever see him again.Days later, Germans invade her village and take over her tiny house. Serafima … Serafima and her mother must comply with orders, endure abuse, and stay put, or their village will be annihilated.As World War II intertwines Serafima’s and Vitya’s life with that of a young German violinist and a Russian intellectual, their destinies are irrevocably altered. Can they rise to the challenge of agonizing moral choices and learn to forgive and love again? Praise “The Cruel Romance is a tale of love, violence, and acceptance as Serafima is forced to live with what the Germans left behind. This compelling story makes for a thrilling read in a setting and time that comes to life, pulling the reader into the vividly drawn, rarely seen world” (Elisabeth Amaral, author of When Any Kind of Love Will Do and Czar Nicholas, The Toad, and Duck Soup).
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A well written novel with central characters and events that will stay with you long after the book is finished.
The story is told with stark realism of life in a small village near Moscow and of the conflict on the Eastern Front, at a time when Russia and Germany were back and forth across each other’s border with devastating consequences. For all the horror, suffering and death of the men fighting on the front line, it was the women and children who ended up being brutalised, starved and reviled by their own.
There is already poverty in the village where Serafima lives with her single mother in a small house that catches the eye of the commander of the invading German forces as his billet.
Despite the forced labour and the harsh Russian winter, Serafima keeps her dreams alive by thinking of Vitya who she loves and is now on the front. Then one day there is a devastating event that would not only change her life for ever, but that of a young German soldier whose gentleness has been twisted by the military code of domination.
Threaded through the inhumanity of war, is the beauty of music, kindness from unexpected sources, compassion, rekindling of maternal love and forgiveness.
All the characters are strongly drawn and evolve through the story as events bring about fundamental changes to their personalities and behaviour. Some become dehumanised whilst others seek redemption. We follow their lives during the conflict and in the uneasy peace that follows, discovering their inner thoughts in letters written to family and loved ones.
With the war ended, the race to grab power in the resulting vacuum is lethal in its unbending drive to annihilate any resistance. Even from those who have fought for their country or worked as slaves in the factories to support the war effort. For a population already starved of food, freedom and rights during war, there is little difference in peace time.
This book is not a Mills and Boon romance, it is stark, realistic and emotive with a surprising ending that does at least bring all the threads together with a feeling of closure. Whilst a little more justice was deserved by one or two, in the real world that does not always happen, especially when the people concerned are shielded by the uniform that they wear.
It is a reminder that whilst there is bravery on an individual basis in war, there is also inhumanity, cruelty and dishonour, tragically aimed at those least able to defend themselves. Recommended.
Have you ever read a book that was so good that you wished there was a movie about it? This is exactly what happened to me after I finished “The Cruel Romance.” The setting was so authentic, the characters so vivid and real, and the atmosphere so haunting and emotionally-charged that I couldn’t help but moan, “I wish I saw this on the big screen” from time to time! The story is set in the Eastern front, where too few historical fiction authors dare to go, unfortunately. Just this fact makes this excellent novel stand out among many of its WW2 peers. But to me, it was the characters that made me fall in love with the plot – real, authentic, multi-dimensional, with all of their doubts, hopes, sufferings, and their will to go on despite it all. The ending was perfect and left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling after all the devastation that the characters had to go through. Meticulously researched and beautifully presented, “The Cruel Romance” will keep you captivated till the very last page is turned. Highly recommended to all fans of the genre!
Cruelty of War
War is cruel. So many women suffered abuse from the occupying armies. Many of them were forced to comply, yet were persecuted by their towns people anyway.
Many in all countries following the war were accused of being spies for the other side. These unfortunate souls were sent to labor camps and concentration camps where many perished.
The story of Serafima , a Russian girl raped by a German soldier, giving birth to a child and then being persecuted by her friends and neighbors for being an unwed mother. It was even more heartbreaking when her boyfriend Victor returned from battle and rejected her.
How she raises the child and Victors revenge is carried out is very sad. The story does end well.
I loved the characters, especially Serafina and her mother. They showed so much love and courage in a troubled time.
What a wonderful story of a terrible time. It is well written, and captures attention from page one. I would recommend this book.
I took my time with this one because it became clear to me early on that this the kind of book you can’t really read in one sitting. This story follows a young Russian girl and her mother during WW2 and the hardships that she dealt with during that time. This author has a gift for bringing such details into her story which really open up the image playing in your mind, providing a much more realistic feel and effect. I love reading stories set in different time periods and this author truly did this time in our history justice. I look forward to reading more from this very talented author.
This novel is extremely well written! I do not usually read war-type novels, though this novel kept my interest from page one! The characters, situations and events are so real and raw. I felt so many emotions as I followed Serafima. I cant speak to the accuracy of the history however, I can say the story was so well created I could have been reading a true-life account. I could almost hear them play the violin together!
I did NOT expect the ending at all!! I may have not liked everything that happened in the story, especially the ending but this was truly a fantastic book and one i will not soon forget!!!!!
move over Anna Karenina. A true Russian epic, thought-provoking and deep. Give yourself time to savor it. It’s not an easy read but it is a darn good one. Well written with great character development. Excellent job Ms. Osipova.