by Kate Quinn
The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet librarian who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.
In the snowbound city of Kiev, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler's invasion of Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC—until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.
Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet librarian who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.
In the snowbound city of Kiev, wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler's invasion of Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC—until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.
Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Reviews-
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January 17, 2022
Quinn (The Rose Code) draws on a historical female sharpshooter from WWII in her exciting latest. In 1937, Mila Pavlichenko studies history at Kiev University and raises her five-year-old son, Slavka. She’s estranged from her husband, Alexei, a surgeon whom she met when she was 15. When the Germans invade Russia, Mila, who’s already trained at a marksmanship school, enlists in the army, is assigned sniper duty, and earns the nickname “Lady Death” for her high number of kills. In battle, Mila is steadfast about completing her missions with her partner, Kostia, and also finds time to write letters to Slavka. In 1942, Soviet leaders send Mila with a delegation to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Roosevelt in a bid to seek American support. The trip has its highs and lows, as Mila unexpectedly develops a friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, but faces a threat from a misogynistic male marksman who sends her threatening notes. Quinn humanizes Mila by showing how she and Kostia use humor—along with a healthy amount of vodka—to cope with their risk-taking, and she convinces with her description of Eleanor’s political savvy and influence on the president. Historical fiction fans will be riveted. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. -
Saskia Maarleveld, with her unusually beautiful voice and her talent for European accents, is especially well matched to an audio thriller set during the Soviets' WWII. Quinn's heroine, Mila Pavlichenko, based on a real person, is a gifted sniper fighting the "Hitlerites" in Ukraine, as well as sexism and misogyny in the Red Army and at home. On a 1942 propaganda trip to the U.S., Quinn also puts the "girl sniper" in the crosshairs of an evil Western sniper-for-hire commissioned to assassinate FDR and blame the Russian visitor. Quinn's Mila is a complicated character who believably intrigues the first lady, and Maarleveld gives her humor and heart. She also snarls and purrs her way through roomfuls of Russians, Americans, and others like the pro she is. B.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
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July 1, 2022
Mila Pavlichenko is a single mother, a graduate student, and a library clerk. When Germany and Russia go to war in 1937, she enlists in the Red Army. She meets sharp resistance, but the enormous need for fighters allows her to slowly attain the position she wants. Her prowess as a sniper becomes legendary, earning her the name "Lady Death." Her official tally of kills reaches 309 when she is ordered to be part of a goodwill tour of the United States. At the end of the tour, she upends a plot to assassinate President Roosevelt, adding some unofficial kills to her count. Quinn brings the characters to life, imagining conditions in the trenches while detailing the actual work of a military sniper at war. She also underlines issues of women's rights and offers astute cultural comparisons. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld, who won an Earphones Award for her performance of Quinn's The Rose Code, flawlessly provides the necessary Russian and American accents in both male and female voices. VERDICT Highly recommended. Quinn explores a largely unknown piece of World War II history.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
