Who Is to Blame? A Russian Riddle

by Jane Marlow

Who is to Blame? is a historical saga of two families—one born of noble heritage and the other bound as serfs to the noble’s household. Set during the mid-1800s in the vast grainfields of Russia, Who Is to Blame? follows the lives of two star-crossed serfs, Elizaveta and Feodor, torn apart by their own families and the Church while simultaneously trapped in the inhumane life of poverty to which they were born.

At the other end of the spectrum, Count Maximov and his family struggle to maintain harmony amidst a tapestry of deception and debauchery woven by the Count’s son. The plot twists further when the Tsar emancipates twenty million serfs from bondage as the rural gentry’s life of privilege and carelessness takes its final bow, and much of Russia’s nobility faces possible financial ruin.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Fiction, 19th Century, Historical, Cultural, Literature

301 pages, Paperback

Published October 18, 2016

About the author

Thanks to my mom and my hometown’s bookmobile, I learned as a young girl to appreciate the written word. Since then, I've has devoted many years to trying to use it properly.

My stories reflect change over time. The characters, like ourselves, have the choice of rolling with life’s punches, or curling into a ball, or gulping a deep breath and building a stronger, more resilient person.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this historical fiction book. Russian life in the 1800's was extremely interesting. I found the riddles preceding each chapter fun, thought-provoking and downright indecent at times! During this time in history, superstitions and old wives tale's ran rampant and was evidenced throughout the story. It was definitely weird what people believed in back then. It's obvious that Jane Marlow put a lot of time, research and thought into this story. This book was 300 pages, spanning 25 years, but I could have easily read 800 pages to gain more information and detail into each characters' life and background. I definitely wanted more!

I'm so happy that I won this book through LibraryThing's Member Reviewer's Giveaway.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a 4.5 worth of Literature.

True to the fact, I love this Book.

It’s completely a page-turner story and written very versed with perfect timeline with best chosen characters.

There is a saying, "Be Russian, when in Russia"; meanwhile I picked this book in winters and feel enriched and nourished to my mind for doing the same. I was waiting for picking this book for so long to just start it in Winters so that can able to feel the climate/environment that in my thoughts would have been in the description in this book and able to feel more familiar to it.

Jane did a very well job with her debut & the research she would have did seems to be till the last breath of the living creature. At a point I was dissolved in the story to the point that not even a single pause my mind was allowing between the Chapters. It’s a complete Drama and is full of sense.
From the very starting I was feeling dizzy about the book because of the names which were hard to spell first and remember later, but I had that instinct that this Novella is not going to cheat me, and it didn’t.

The Part I enjoyed the most is the Timeline under the Titles of 'ELIZAVETA'. The Whole story revolves around her and her story is the soul of this book. She is the Protagonist and with the finest storyline about and around her. From her first love to the murder of her Husband, she fought in every level with every sort of hurdles. I was shocked once, when I read about the death of Feodor Zhemchuzhnikov. But got relaxed (for Elizaveta) when it was confirmed on later plot that he was alive. Though, Feeling so sad about Avdotya. Karma wasn’t good to her.

Maximov Nobility on the hand are not much to my interest but still the Plot relating to the ‘Pigeon-Elena’. Anton’s character was plotted very well to the point it has to be but very unfortunate for him to not get a proper family life. Sophia’s Character seems to me as an additional to just trigger the story at some points. However the relation of Yustina and Stepan should have been more elated. The Elena’s thought of becoming the Saint was very well connected with the past events of her life that had been depicted at different levels and points.

It can be (well, I say, should be) made into the TV Series with every chapter line-up to separate episode.

The Usage of Quotes under the titles of every chapter were written fantastically and were very much relation to the whole chapter in Nutshell. I would like to re-quote one here:

Two Brothers:
One everyone sees but doesn’t hear,
The other everyone hears but doesn’t see.
Who are they?

-Lightning and Thunder


As in Whole the Story is very attractive and spell-bounding. For me it’s: 4.5/5.0

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Russia during the time period of 1840 through 1865, this novel brings to life the everyday, intertwined lives of one family of the Russian nobility and several families of their serfs.

Stephan Maximov is a loving husband and father who must oversee the workings of his estate during a period of great social upheaval. In addition, Maximov also tries to deal with his wife’s depression as well as with one son who leads an indolent existence.

The lives of the serfs are extremely difficult, leaving them with a sense of hopelessness. Elizaveta is a beautiful young girl who falls in love with her childhood sweetheart, Feodor. But the laws of the Church and the government interfere with their plans.

This beautifully written novel will pull you in as you become involved with the characters’ lives and the real sense of place that is evoked. It’s hard to put this book down. Anyone interested in Russian history would find this book a window into a long lost time and place.
Thank you to Net Galley and author Jane Marlow for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this fascinating novel.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a page-turner. Generous use of dialogue and rapid scene changes immerse the reader into 19th century Tsarist Russian rural life, which the author has carefully researched down to the last stitch of bridal embroidery. We realize that both serfs and nobility are shackled with suffocating lives of drudgery albeit in drastically contrasting circumstances. While being culturally and legally trapped in their respective lots in life, the leading characters endure personal crises and hardships that begin to define their persons. The book left me wanting more, in a good way. Self-indulgent Anton embarks on introspection three-quarters of the way through the book. The unceasing devotion of long-suffering Elizaveta and Feodor is a thread continuing the length of the book. The ending leaves an opening for a sequel and/or prequel to explore the deeper familial, historical, and faith foundations that run in the blood of the Russians portrayed. Who Is to Blame?is a very realistic and engaging historical novel.

[Cookie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of Russia in the mid nineteenth century. It contrasts the lives of two families, one landed gentry and one peasant by focusing on one or two members of each family.
This book begins a series, and I won one of the later books on a Goodreads giveaway.
"Who Is to Blame" looks at the beginnings of the historical problems that occurred in Russia with the granting of independence to the serf class.
The story was somewhat predictable, but enjoyable enough for me to continue the series.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. "Who is to Blame?" is the story of serfs who work the land and nobles who direct the work in Russia in the mid to late 1800s. I am absolutely fascinated by Russian history and always find myself wishing that I could find more historical fiction set in Russia. The history is so rich with good fodder for stories as we can see in this book.

This book has a huge cast and is split in chapters by the serfs and the nobles. We get to see how each side sees life differently and how they affected by the rapid changes happening throughout the country. On the serf side, the narrative focuses largely on Elizaveta, who is my favorite character and one of the characters that we get to know best throughout the story. She works hard and has dreams of marrying her true love; however, that is not to be. Her family gets to choose the course for her, including getting married to a husband who is not content to let her express any of her own free will.

On the noble side, we see the struggles of Count Maximov, who is trying to balance both running his family and the changing political climate where his role as a noble is slowly leaking power. It was fascinating to read about the interactions between the serfs and the nobles and how they work with and against each other. Class is such an interesting topic here in how it affects what people are able to do or not to do. I loved reading about how the characters operated in these confines.

The writing of the book was very good. I loved the way that the author was able to weave in a lot of detail to explain the time and place that the story falls in. It's important detail and makes for a very rich collection of story lines. I was so interested in a lot of the detail that I found myself wanting more, not because there was a lack of detail but because the wealth of detail was so good that I did not want the book to end! This is a fantastic debut!

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this story and gave up on reading. The plot seems to be one of those that it’s going somewhere, but can’t get there and the prose is dry.

[Lesia Joukova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3,5 stars (RECOMMENDED)
Thank you, NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for giving me a chance to read and review this copy.

The historical genre is a very interesting genre to read and I was very interested in Who Is to Blame because of its premise. It is set in the 19th century rural Russia, the story spanning decades before and after Russia's Tsar Alexander The Second's 1861 reform that granted freedom to Russia's serfs.
I am a Russian myself and that is why it's always extremely interesting to read books set in Russia to kind of run my own "authenticity" test. Russia is a very difficult country to write about because some of the aspects of the "Russian soul" are so elusive for Europeans.

I have to say that this book is very well researched on the topic which really is a testament to Jane Marlow. It does a good job of highlighting both the difficulties of the gentry and the serfs in their day to day life. However, some little details have escaped the author's notice and that's extremely easy to notice for an actual Russian. For example, surnames of women in Russia end with an -a. That means that Sasha Ivanov is a guy while Sasha Ivanova is definitely a girl. Of course, for anyone who doesn't know that it wouldn't affect the story at all but it definitely took me out of the story, as well as a mare being named with a "male" version of a word which definitely wouldn't happen.
But other than that, the research was definitely very thorough and I definitely recommend this book for people who are interested in the time period and the premise.

Just so you know, this is a VERY slow burning story. Nothing happens and this is what reminded me so much of the classic russian literature of the time period. It is normal for events to go on slowly, unpertrubed by the reader's need for action. And it did not bother me but the story itself and the characters is where the book is lacking, in my opinion. The worldbuilding is done very well, but it is definitely the main strength of the book which is why I didn't feel as much emotional attachment to the book's heroes as I would have liked. We are following the story from the perspective of Elizaveta, a serf who is constantly beaten down by everything her life and is toughened up in the process. As more and more calamities befall her I also grew hardened and couldn't find it in myself to sympathize with her as much as she deserved because I somehow grew detached. The violence, the harshness of life... it should have been shown, not told. We should have seen her feel. Even her meetings with Feodor, they were more about the fact and less about the experience, the feelings, the pull.

We are also following Stepan Maximov and later, his son Anton's perspective. The transition between Stepan and Anton's narration is quite sudden and it threw me off. I think that Stepan's disappearance from the narration could have been handled in a more interesting way considering his difficulties and mental state.

The story ends very abruptly, leaving a very wide open ending. To me, it didn't make sense since none of the problems were solved. Each of the characters had an idea of how to proceed further but the resolution itself would have added so much value to the story. We NEED to see people overcome or succumb to their inner demons in a story like this. Because an "anything could happen" ending goes against the historical setting. Sure, everyone could live happily ever after. Hypothetically. BUT there would be repercussions, there would be pain. And THAT part would be the most interesting one to explore.

All in all, this book has a lot of potential, but to be excellent it just needed some further work. This definitely feels like an outsider's look on the period. Some things are just not present here. For example, the pull that Russians experience toward philosophy when in a desperate state in their life... which is a small detail but those kinds of details make the Russian background truly come alive. But for those insights, you need to visit a small Russian village and muse on the meaning of life with a bunch of old drunks ;)

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed with this one. There is no sugar coating of what life was like for the serfs in 19th century Russia, so it was fascinating and horribly sad all at the same time. I liked how the novel switched between the serfs and the nobles, and I thought the writing was very well done. I would definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[E.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a professional Russianist, I approached this book with both curiosity and trepidation. I'm always excited to see a Western book with a Russian theme, but at the same time, I'm so often disappointed in the execution. "Who Is to Blame?" definitely reads more like a Western take on a Russian theme than like actual Russian literature, but it will probably appeal much more to English-language readers because of that.

The novel is a fact-dense piece of historical fiction about a particularly turbulent period in Russian history (aren't they all!): the 1840s through the 1860s, culminating in the emancipation of the serfs. It is full of the kind of period detail that historical fiction readers seem to like; in fact, in tone, despite its rather dark subject matter, it reminded me of a historical romance novel, with its careful--and obviously lovingly researched--descriptions of food, clothing, holidays, laws, and so on. This is not to say that it is a dry collection of facts, but rather that readers who enjoy that kind of novel are likely to take pleasure in the detailed (and astonishingly accurate for a Western work) descriptions of how the people of mid-19th-century Russia lived. The tragedy and brutality of people's day-to-day lives is depicted with courage, but there is also the hope that things could get better, and that the main characters will be able to turn their lives around and find some kind of happiness.

Like any good historical novel, it starts off slowly, allowing the reader to become immersed in the characters and their world, but the tension builds and builds, and I found the last 100 pages completely enthralling. It ends not exactly on a cliffhanger, but in a place that suggests the possibility of a sequel, hinting at a family saga-type series. This is not a light read, and English speakers may struggle a bit with the Russian names (although they are presented with the maximum possible clarity for non-Russian-speakers), but anyone looking for a satisfyingly dense historical novel about Russia would do well to check this book out.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book.

[Faouzia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for this copy.

It is more like 4.5 stars.

I find it a little hard to start my review of this book, not because i did not like but because, on the contrary, i liked it a lot and it affected me. So here we are, by mid 19th century, in rural Russia, following the lives of two families depending on each other, yet no real connection existed between them. On one side, we have the Maximov family, an old nobility, owning the estate of Petrovo along with the village and the serfs. On the other side we have Elizaveta, a peasant living in Petrovo, and through her story we follow the changes in the Serf's lives before and after the emancipation of Serf.

The story was very intense, with a huge mix of characters from both social sides, and through all of them we follow these changes in Russia during that period. The division of chapters in this book was interesting, it was an alternation between Count Maximov and Elizaveta, starting from 1840s and ending in 1865, during this span of time their lives never intertwined yet each one affected the other in different ways. It is kind of difficult to really explain the interaction between the different characters from both sides, yet it had a powerful impact on how the story went on. There was no real closure for the story, and it was not a cliffhanger, it just felt that this particular chapter of the life in Petrovo came to an end and another one is about to start, and i liked that.

It is definitely that kind of books that keeps you thinking about life, choices, changes with that mix of character that can't possibly leave you indifferent to them.
I also enjoyed a lot the riddles that the author put at the beginning of every chapter.

I would recommend it to my friends.

[Graham McGhie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provides an inspired Glimpse into Russia during the Great Reforms- a great read
Having read a few other reviews of this book I noted with interest that many reviewers had studied Russian History and Literature at University. I'm the same. The period of Russian History from mid-nineteenth century to the Revolutions of 1917 has always held great interest to me. As has the Literature of the period.
There is little I can add to that which has already been said by others about Jane Marlow's novel except to confirm its excellence. It is structured and reads as a work of Russian Literature and does not disappoint. It serves to educate on the lot of Russian Serfs and emphasises the bond that the land held to this impoverished segment of society which formed the bulk of the country's population.
Perhaps I could just add one thought which is that the inability of the Serfs to unify into an effective lobbying group comes across well in Jane Marlow's novel. Their freedom in a sense came from the top down not the other way round as one might have expected. This flaw would cost them dearly in the decades following the Revolution(s).
Marlow narrates the story through the medium of individual Serf and Noble families in the same geographic area. She selects a noble family which is as conscious of its dues to the Serfs as it is of those owed by the Serfs to them. They are as bewildered by the Emancipation as their Serfs.
A wonderful story of Russian Society at the time leading up to and beyond the Emancipation.
(My review was based on an eBook file provided to me by the publisher. My review is totally independent.)

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of "Who is to Blame?" by Jane Marlow. This is a historical fiction genre set during 19th century Russia, and spanning over 25 years. The drama takes place between the Noble Class,(by heritage), and the serfs who tend the land and are born into poverty. Within each class, Jane Marlow writes about romance, conflicts, betrayal,family,loyalty, love, revenge., and power.Within the setting, the Tsar emancipates the serfs, and ongoing conflicts occur. The history is written well, and the characters are complex and conflicted as dictated by the times and circumstances. I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction. The author leaves us with the question,"Who is to blame?" for the social upheaval.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and River Grove Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me quite some time to review this book because I needed to process how I felt about it. Some of the narration and characters were a bit too flat and non-dimensional for me but I absolutely loved all the riddles distributed throughout and some of the thoughtful ideas about class and various perspectives between nobility and serfs. A decent read.

I found this fascinatingly timeless: "Ignorant people invent stories to excite their fears all the further . . . . The peasants' horizons are so narrow and their outlook so constrained, they'll believe any story any fool dreams up."

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Russia during the mid-to-late 1800's, this book chronicles the life of a noble family and one of its serf families, including the time period when serfs became free citizens. How did the lives of nobles and serfs differ? And, how would they each be affected by this huge change in power?

I'm not sure why, but ever since reading (and loving!) The Bronze Horseman series by Paullina Simons, I have been very fascinated by life in Russia. Yet, I have not read anything from this time period. This book did not disappoint and even though in some ways it moved slowly like a meandering stream, I remained intrigued by the story and the characters and needed to know how it ended. If a sequel is in the works, then I look forward to reading more about these two families ...

Elizaveta, oppressed for being a serf and a woman, is the main voice of the serfs' life during this time. Women were expected to work very hard, but had no rights to an opinion, to say no, or to own possessions. Due to the belief in the village that it was improper to marry the children of one's godparents, she was unable to marry her childhood sweetheart, Feodor. Instead, she was forced by her father to marry Ermak, an extremely abusive and heartless man. Divorce was unheard of during this time. Despite the hard times, she loved her children and never gave up on somehow having a future with her first (and only) love.

The noble's point of view was mainly told by Stepan the Count (who owns the land worked by Elizaveta's family), and his whiny and self-destructive son, Anton. Stepan's wife was suffering from grief over the loss of a child and possibly postpartum depression. His story dealt with the struggle of running his estate, his treatment of the serfs who farmed his land and lived in his home, and the changing political climate in which Emperor Romanov, granted the serfs full rights as free citizens.

Once the serfs were freed, they were expected to purchase the land they'd worked for free for generations, with future payments to be made by their children and grandchildren (for a length of up to 50 years, kind-of like a really long mortgage).

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

"We musn't fool ourselves into thinking what we want today will be enough tomorrow. Tomorrow's wants would have to wait. Right now, there was the obliterating sensation of two people with bottomless longing." - Elizaveta

"So the peasants point the finger of blame at the nobility. The nobility place the blame on the Tsar. And the Tsar blames ... Probably Western Europe, for making serfdom obsolete." ... "It's the classic question, isn't it? Who is to blame?"

"For so long, she had been held hostage. But no more! Like the river, she would surge past obstacles." - Elizaveta

[Saarah Niña · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a tale!

I've studied Russia, particularly 'revolutionary Russia' so my knowledge revolved more around the topic of how Russia politically changed- from the system of Tsardom to a Provisional government, then its gradual advance to a Communist regime. Even so, while the historical fiction aspects of this book fixate more so on serfdom, and the nobility in Tsarist Russia, I did enjoy reading it. In spite of it having been a work of fiction, there's a lot that can be learned. I felt like I was truly immersing myself in the time, as I had already studied much of it- but, books like these, which strive to also be historically accurate, make a historical subject more personal. I'd say interesting, but history is always interesting. This book brilliantly encapsulates the often unpredictable nature of history as I can't for a second say that I foresaw the occurrence of any plot twist, not even the revelation at the end.

'Who is to Blame?' is written in a style which flits between the lives of two families- a serf family and a family of nobility. Initially, I thought it would be a Romeo and Juliet type story, I was pleased to find that wasn't the case. The two families remain mostly separate, besides the fact that the serfs serve the nobility, and then we see some of the serfs becoming working more closely with the nobles, within the household. This book does provide a lot of historical background, society's treatment of serf women, the huge importance of Vodka, the reliance on folk tales and old traditions and, we also get to see how the fictional families dealt with the Emancipation Edict of 1861. One of the characters we meet in the book, is a young girl named Elizaveta. We witness her growing up as a woman and the struggles she faces as a serf, and then once she's been liberated and her new hopes. We see her relentlessly battle against her society's oppression of women, we see her speak out against the discrimination and horrid treatment she is forced to withstand from her abusive husband, her purpose being only to have children. Her courage and determination was one of the best aspects of this book, the situation she faced was chillingly brutal. Her story is a powerful one.

It's really difficult to describe the plot for this book, a lot going on, too many characters, and so many actual plots also.....For a book of this kind, you wouldn't want to risk reading someone's description of it, in case they spoil it. It's like not wanting to watch the trailer for a film you want to watch, a description of this book might mention too much. But, I'd definitely say this book is worth the time. I'm glad there's a sequel!

I received this book through NetGalley.

[Elysium · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is set in the 1800s before the emancipation of the serfs and follows Count Stepan Maximov and Elizaveta who is a peasant.

Elizaveta loves her childhood friend but they can’t marry because marrying your godparents’ child can’t happen. Instead, she has to marry a man she knows is a violent one and the marriage isn’t a happy one. But it seems like abusiveness kinda runs in Ermak’s family and Elizaveta’s sister-in-laws aren’t having any more luck in their lives.

Maximov’s lost their child and Stepan’s wife never got over her grief and it starts to affect their marriage too. Stepan struggles to run the estate, to find new ways to grow and develop it but new things takes time. In the latter part, we see more of Anton, the eldest Maximov son who spends most of his time drinking and playing cards.

I don’t really know what to say about this. I loved the book and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. It’s always hardest to write about a book you like… I just wanted to keep reading and wanting to know what happens next!

You can see that the author has done her research and there are lots of little details but it’s well written in the story.

We get to see how disconnected the nobility and the peasants were and had so little contact with each other. Nobility thought that the peasants should be thankful because they are being taken care of…. By working them to death yet they were seen as just lazy…

I wanted to slap Anton so many times that I’m not surprised that Stepan was so frustrated with him. He did change his ways a bit in the end but I would like to know if he manages to really change. But I think there is next book coming so I’m hoping we’ll see that.

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Received from the Historical Novel Society and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

There's no secret here that I adore Russian literature, especially mid-19th-century Russian literature. This is a debut novel for Jane Marlow, decidedly not a mid-19th-century Russian author (she is, after all, alive and well), but it feels like a Russian novel in all ways except for the length of the book itself. It is, relatively-speaking, a short novel, coming in at just a few pages over 300. As far as Russian novels go, 300 pages is just about where things get extra yummy-juicy.

But I enjoyed this. It may feel brief in comparison, but the story covers 25 years in the lives of serfs and the nobility for whom they work. The side-by-side treatment allows us to see just how complicated and difficult lives and loves could be so complicated regardless of finances or circumstance.

My hope is that due to the brevity of this novel that Marlow has a sequel(s) in the works, but that's just me being spoiled and wanting to know more about the lives of these characters. The serfs' lives are much more rich than those of the aristocrats, so I would even be fine with a story just from the serfs' perspective.

Full review here.

[Lilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this free copy in exchange for an honest review

I read the blurb and some reviews before choosing this book, and I thought to myself "why not?". Well, I should have listened to my instinct because it is definitely not my style. I found it boring and overrated. I pushed myself in order to finish it, and I neither regret it or feel that it was a good thing that I did. That on a personal level.

I must admit though that it is very well documented, and the historical era, as well as the country's traditions, are very well researched and depicted. The characters are well written but could be better. I liked the plot [I was not crazy about it] but I felt it is predictable. Some of the character's seemed fake, and some others were completely balanced and realistic. The writing style is slow paced and dry.

I believe readers that are keen to this writing style will thoroughly enjoy it and it is recommendable for all readers that are interested in Russian historical fiction of the 1800's.

[Trick Wiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book from Net Galley,about a time in Russian history! You learn so much about this period of time on what the people had to endure to just be able to live! You not only have the government ruling your life but here we go don't forget about the Church having a say! The characters in this book you feel so much of what they are going the and how they had to live their lives. Not all good! Loved the story and love to read these kind of books this is the second book I have read on the struggles of Russian people from this author!🙈🙉🙊

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.

I have no idea why it took me so long to actually pick up this book and read it, I loved this story and really hope to see a sequel! The author has the gift of story telling. Absolutely beautifully written, emotional and both heartbreaking and uplifting with characters that can both disgust you and pull at your heart strings at the same time.

[Lisa Reinke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at how Russian serfs and Russian aristocracy lived in 19th century

There is very little fiction on this subject. This book fills a gap. You can tell the author did a lot of research about Russia. I loved the riddles and the storylines are very compelling!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author gets a real feel for the times. This era of history, 1860s rural Russia, is a complete mystery to me so exploring its diametrically opposed lifestyles was a shock to me. The reader senses how bleak it was as a peasant in serfdom-era Russia and how plush it was as an aristocrat. Serving as small kingdom tyrants in essence, landowners could even dictate things as personal as marriages for their people.

Yet, given the era this book takes place in, we get a sense of the balance of power shifting. As the tsar contemplates freeing the serfs from land bondage, the aristocrats start to feel the pinch of their fortunes slipping away. The peasants also start to feel their bargaining power as they contemplate a future of choice and uncertainty. As they’re freed from the continuing cycle of farming and the seasons, they start to wonder what will happen to them and what their choices are.

In amongst all that, we get an intimate view into these two worlds as well. Stepan’s world of wealth and landowner responsibility contrasts sharply with Elizaveta’s miserable world. We do get a sense of how much Stepan feels that responsibility as it contrasts sharply with his son, Anton, whom shows no interest in manor management nor anything else but vodka, easy money, peasant girl molestation, and gambling.

In the later half, we do show some growth for Anton. He feels his age as the years go on, shows some responsibility towards an illegitimate daughter, and vague interest in land management later in life. Anton’s journey is actually probably one of my favorite parts of the book. I started out really hating him, especially after that first molestation scene. Yet, towards the end, I could see a maturity and sense of wanting to right past wrongs in him. I started to like him as the book closed.

Elizaveta’s journey was just the opposite. She started out young and full of hope, in love with a childhood friend and certain their future together could be arranged despite religious and societal strictures against it. However, in steps Stepan and his dictates which throws Elizaveta’s dreams and life down the drain. Once her downward spiral starts, there’s no end in sight.

Once Elizaveta's life takes that dark turn, it stays dark all the way to the end. While she does get some resolution and victory over one odious antagonist, there's still no HAE here. So bear that in mind when reading her story, as there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Only a bitter satisfaction over one minor dark victory with a lifetime still ahead full of hardship and mistrust.

So ultimately, the author shows her true skills in these two individual's journeys. We get a look into their minds and hearts as they grow and change with the times. While happiness and life goal achievements aren't in the cards, the reader is still taken on an incredible journey of character change and growth with the advancement of time.

The one area of this book that didn't flow as well as the pacing. I felt like the author was trying to force too many years into too few pages. Within less than 300 pages, 25 years of events and complex Russian history is crammed along with examinations on how they affect the various characters involved. Add that to exploring three different character story arcs and you've got too much information squeezed into too little a space. I felt like there were times I didn't get to know Stepan, Anton, and Elizaveta as much as I wanted to.

With that in mind, though, I still feel this is a book worth checking out. Exploring a historical time period not often played in and great character arcs make this a historical fiction tale worth the read. The author isn't afraid to explore the bleakness that came with difficult life circumstances, giving the reader a real sense of the harshness of life at times. Not every author would be brave enough to do this, so kudos for that. I would definitely recommend this tale to lovers of historical fiction, especially for those who enjoy the more obscure of history.

Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for an honest review.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

More on Chill and read

It’s the mid 1800s in Russia when Tsar Nocholas I is on his throne. The vast countryside is living on agriculture and kettles. During those times, the nobility was owning all the land, and the serfs that were living on their property would cultivate grain and other crop for the nobleman and for their families as well. The serfs would belong to the noble family and in turn the noble family would be responsible for their prosperity and good health. The serfs were peasants with hardly enough education to go by. The whole family would work the land and animals if any and they would live by the preaching of the Church.

Two serfs, Elizaveta and Feodor are friends since childhood. The one’s parents are the godparents of the other, which in the eyes of the Church makes them siblings. So, falling in love with each other a a bog sin, but this is what happens and they cannot control it. They are not allowed to celebrate their love though, because it is forbidden. So they are separated, but they never forget each other. Elizaveta, as a woman, has so little freedom to rule her life. She must obey her husband, provide him with children, never refuse his bed, work the land, have no possessions and no opinion. She is the main voice of the book, so we get to see first handed what all the above really mean. Life doesn’t do justice to her, as it didn’t do for many other women of her era and many other serfs as well. She is forced into an unwanted married, never really being asked for her concession to what would be the rest of her life. Her husband is a man that feels he has to reform her when she does something he doesn’t agree with. He is always right and according to the rules of the time, he has every right to do it.

The other voice of the book is that of Count Maximov, the nobleman of the estate. He has a big family but he feels lonely. His wife, Sophia was not been herself after the loss of a child. He just wants his wife back, but he only get’s glimpses of her. These are the worst, because he is reminded of the old times, and their relationship in the past and that is then taken from him so abruptly when Sophia returns to her new self. His other big issue is with his son Anton, who has a weird relationship with his mother. And as he grows up he becomes more of a pain for his father, as he is not even the slightest of responsible person as his brother is. He always creates problems and difficult situations and he is often in a need of help and support. The last of Count Maximov’s problems is the emancipation of the serfs that comes in when Tsar Alexander takes the reins of the country. This becomes a problem for both the Count and the serfs.

The story is a wonderful depiction of the country at those years. It gives a very clear picture of the struggles people would have at the time, as well as how every day life was. This is how most of the countries in Europe where during those times and Russia was only following Europe’s example when freeing the serfs. However, the perspective the people had in the 19th century was very much in accordance to the preaching of the Church and social standards.

Overall, this was a wonderful story and I so blame myself for not having read it earlier!

I received a complimentary ecopy from the publisher via NetGalley. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “Who is to Blame,” Jane Marlow re-examines a genre made popular more than a century earlier by Alexander Herzen. In this incarnation of the story, the author uses an individual serf and the other peasants whose lives intersect with hers to represent the poverty of nineteenth-century Russia. The opposite side, represented by Count Maximov’s family, clearly portrays not only the disparity of wealth, but also the inability of the gentry to function within their society after the loss of their labor force.
Marlow is careful to present facts in a very sterile way. When showing loss of dreams, illness in a destitute home, or choices that are outside of the control of the serfs, her language is factual and avoids editorializing. In the same way, she presents the Count’s family as making their own decisions, and does not really examine their motives. When the Count mandates marriage among the serfs, and the peasant protagonist is forced into a difficult union, Marlow states the facts baldly, even in portraying later abuse.
This book lost a star in my mind simply because of the gratuitous use of crude ideas. Several times, the Count’s son is shown to consider his abilities as a man in vulgar terms. As a reader, I am not interested in the effects of his alcohol abuse on his virility. For the most part, the other uses of offensive language are placed in such a way as to reveal more about the characters’ lives, and did not seem unreasonable.
Marlow places her characters at a point in history that made the story captivating to me personally. She allowed her protagonists to discover intersecting points of history, such as the U.S. Civil War, that helped to place it in context. The book covers more than 25 years of her characters’ lives, which seemed too broad in some places. However, the time frame became more appropriate as she used the intervening time to develop the boorish behavior of the Count’s progeny alongside the difficult life of the peasant family.
All in all, I’m glad I read this book, and I found enough to appreciate in it that I will probably seek out other books in this genre. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley, and this review is posted on Goodreads, as well as at http://mombylove.blogspot.com/2016/12....

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. Going by the blurb, I thought it sounded very interesting and it was about a period of history that I know very little about and thought I'd learn something as well. I appreciate the amount of research that must have gone in to writing this book, but it's unfortunate that while the facts were mostly there, the rest of the book didn't work for me.

I'm wondering if part of the problem I had with this book is down to the fact that it spans around 25 years and so it never had enough time to go into much depth with events. Something would happen and then suddenly it's months or years later.

Another problem was that I never connected with any of the characters. There were a lot of them and none of them were really fleshed out so I didn't care what happened to them at all. The blurb makes it sound like it's concentrated on Elizaveta and Feodor on the serf side and Count Maximov on the other side. To be fair, I guess it is, but because there are so many other people and families involved they never get enough time to build up any connection with me to get any emotional reaction. I was also surprised how little Feodor appeared – why am I supposed to care about him?! Character interactions were all wooden.

I think a lot of people would like this, perhaps those who enjoy their historical fiction more fact based and for those who place character development further down their priority list.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free digital copy in return for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giveaway - Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

I will keep my review brief, as there are enough other reviews that give thorough summaries of the plot.

I think intellectuals or history buffs would very much enjoy this book. The average reader (like myself) may find it a bit slow and dense much of the time. I definitely enjoyed the plot, as well as learning some Russian history, but I never felt very connected to the characters as they were somewhat flat. Also, I almost called it quits about halfway through when one of the main characters begins raping women, including his cousins and very young teens, and the beginning of one such rape was described in too much detail. It made me feel sick to hear any details at all about a 13 year old being raped. It could have all been implied and the details spared. Anyway, I decided to stick with the book because I really wanted to know what would come of everyone’s story. I’m glad I stuck with it because the second half was far more interesting than the first and I really enjoyed where the story was headed. Alas, I was let down when the story ended without resolution and left some big questions unanswered. At this point I would be interested in buying the sequel if there was one to buy, but it doesn’t appear that one was written.

All in all I did appreciate the story and all that went into it, and I do hope there will be a sequel.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

With perspectives from both sides of the class divide this book centers on a dramatic period in Russian history, as serfdom was being abolished and the oppressed poor were, at least in theory, gaining freedom. I found the dual narratives very effective and found reasons to empathise with many of the characters. Elisaveta, a young woman forbidden by church and custom from marrying her true love is forced into the arms of a cruel and brutal man, while never giving up on her true love. Count Maximov seeks to be progressive and improve life for his own family as well as his serfs, but is hampered by the failure of his marriage following the death of a child. His son Anton grows up to be a selfish , callous man, who will lie, cheat and steal to save his own skin. As the lives and fates of these characters cross paths, an engaging story unfolds that will linger with the reader. The writer does not shy away from the harsh brutality of Russian life, especially for the serfs, and really brings the hardship and misery to life on the page, but gives us a character in Elisaveta who never gives up hope.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC copy for a fair and honest review.

I quite enjoyed this piece of historical fiction. It takes place during the final years of "Serfdom" and the "Bourgeois" era in Russian History. The story revolved around the life of Elizaveta (a Serf) and the Maximov (Bourgeois) family. It covers about a twenty five year span and discusses the hardships and daily trials and tribulations suffered by all.

The characters were well developed and believable and I found that the day to day hardships suffered by the the Serfs to be heartbreaking. I am thankful that as a woman I was born not only in Canada but in the era that I was. The thought of being "property" to be owned by a husband and disciplined as such is disturbing, but was accurate to the times.

I would highly recommend this novel for anyone looking into Russian history for a fictional but accurate glimpse of life in a bygone era.

[Love, Celina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a little disappointed that I didn't like this book more. The blurb intrigued me since I don't know as much about Russian history as I would like to. Which is why I decided to give this a try.
Unfortunately, the writing style was not for me. For me it was boring and I had to force myself to continue reading. I was not able to form a connection with the characters and while the historical part seems like it was well researched, I just could not bring myself to care about what happened next.
For someone who prefers historical fiction to be more fact based and does not need a character driven story or a fast paced plot this would be a good book. For me not so much.
I was struggling to decide whether I should give this book 2 or 3 stars but in the end the book had a very well researched base which is why I rounded the 2,5 stars up to 3.