The End of Sorrow: A Novel of the Siege of Leningrad in WWII

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The End of Sorrow: A Novel of the Siege of Leningrad in WWII

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 9 ratings · 2 reviews

A love that would not die . . . A city that would not surrender . . . A war that knew no bounds . . . On June 21st, 1941, Nazi Germany embarks on what would become one of the bloodiest, most barbaric wars the world would ever know. Follow several memorable characters - some real-to-life - as they struggle through one of the most horrific human dramas ever created. For 900...more

Paperback, 404 pages

Published June 22nd 2007 by Wingspan Press

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Mar 17, 2011 Wanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a love story of Katya and Felix that is set against a devastating time in history – the siege of Leningrad. The city (formerly and now known as St. Petersburg) was one of the primary targets of Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa. The first German artillery shell fell on Leningrad on September 1st, 1941.
During the siege of Leningrad, Hitler concentrated on trying to starve the people out of the city. Indeed, Hitler was successful in maiming the population of Leningrad. Historians estimate tha...more This is a love story of Katya and Felix that is set against a devastating time in history – the siege of Leningrad. The city (formerly and now known as St. Petersburg) was one of the primary targets of Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa. The first German artillery shell fell on Leningrad on September 1st, 1941.
During the siege of Leningrad, Hitler concentrated on trying to starve the people out of the city. Indeed, Hitler was successful in maiming the population of Leningrad. Historians estimate that between 800,000 to over a million people died. The winters of 1941 and 1942 are documented as one of the harshest winters ever to hit the city of Leningrad. With the installation of a blockade, the people of Leningrad were cut off from the influx of food, fuel, medical, and military supplies. Those who remain alive had to resort to demoralizing methods to sustain their lives and the lives of their family members, such as eating dogs, cats, birds and there is suggestion of cannibalism. Nearly 4,000 people from Leningrad starving to death on Christmas Day, 1941.
What’s not to like? Against this remarkable backdrop it could have been a great book, if the writing had been better; if the plot had been tighter; and if the characters had been more compelling. Frankly, I did not get a good sense of either of the protagonists, even though it was their story.
I found it to be a stretch that Katya actually had a religious persuasion in Communist Russia, which did not encourage that kind of thing. Even more of a stretch was that she talked about it openly. Highly unlikely.
This book was published by a small press, and I have decided that it may be the nature of small presses that they do not have conscientious editors – if they have editors at all. The run on sentences and awkward phrasing that it detracted from any possible enjoyment that I might have had from reading this. E.g. “She could turn him on so easily.” Arrghh – what a 60’s colloquialism to use in a serious WW II novel. How about: She could arouse him? And again: “It’s not like Russia is going to cease to be anytime soon.” Huh? It’s not LIKE?
There are also places that simple spell check could have picked up errors. E.g. p. 14 no space between “than700” miles.
The latter is just plain sloppy.
Also, I did not think that Mr. Love really captured the day to day devastation that was the lives of those living through the siege, unlike Hannah Kristen did so well in her novel, Winter Garden.
All in all, as a novel that has the Seige of Leningrad as its topic, Winter Garden is a much better effort. If you have to go with one or the other, go with Winter Garden. It’s flawed, but not as flawed as this novel.
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Dec 19, 2012 Miss Melly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-faves, russia

While the seige of Leningrad was political, JV Love manages to make it personal without being sentimental.
The character of Katya shows us the human face of war - but it is not the only face we are shown here. We are given a broad picture with many differing viewpoints - from the Russian citizens to the German soldiers (a German POV is a rarity in "Siege" novels).
I was swept away - surely the best compliment to any writer.
Highy recommended.

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