Viewpoints and structure

[Librarian Laci]

There are many viewpoints from various Kamchatkan women in the village for each chapter. How did you feel about this roundabout telling of the mystery of the two missing girls? Did you want a more direct telling? Or did you enjoy seeing through the lens of each woman’s life in Kamchatka?

[Michele]

I do enjoy multiple storylines but I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the storylines actually connected to the main story. Only a few characters had direct connections and the majority did not. I don’t think the story lines of Revmira, Ksyusha and Ruskin, Zola, Max and Katya, Valentina, Olga, or Lada added any value to the main story. And none of their stories were really completed. We were introduced to them and then moved on without any resolution. I think instead of including them in this book, they would have made great stories of their own.

[Emily]

I didn't enjoy so many storylines, and so many bleak lifestyles. It felt like an accurate portrayal of their lives though. Telling us about the way Soviet Russia differed from Putin's Russia was very interesting and I enjoyed that "you are there" feeling.

[Renee]

I do like the different stories but keep thinking...wait bring me back to the two girls for a few pages then another story

[Betty]

While reading this book I kept thinking – “I need someone to explain this to me.” I just had a hard time trying to figure out each chapter since it didn’t seem to fit into an overall story. But when finished and after reading some reviews I did see that each chapter was a story of someone with a connection to the girls’ disappearance within the one year. I kept notes while reading and would refer to the list of characters at the start of the book – thank goodness that was available. Maybe it was confusing to me because I had a hard time with the names – and I know nothing about that part of Russia. But, considering all this, I did like the story and was happy with the ending when the girls were found. Very cleverly written.

[Barbara]

I agree with you, Betty. I had to refer to the list of characters multiple times in order to keep track as there were so many people in this story, I think I would have preferred fewer characters in the book as for much of the story the people didn't seem all that connected to each other other than living in the same general area.

[Betty]

Thanks Barbara, I agree with you, too. I am still not sure of all the connections.

[Michelle]

We may have begun the book by assuming it would be a straightforward tale of a kidnapping and then a thrilling hunt, replete with clues, but once it became clear that wasn’t the case, it became something different: an intimate look into various lives. I found it frustrating at first, but not because of the meandering story-line. Rather, it was the decisions being made by the various women that had me figuratively crying out to them: “Are you going to let sheer lust dictate your choice of a partner?” “Don’t stay with the crazy, controlling boyfriend! Go with the dancer, instead!” “Are you sure you want to go back to that shack with the loser in Esso? Make a new life for yourself!” But for all that I may not have agreed with anyone’s life choices, I appreciated being let in so deeply into their daily lives, their psyches. It became a visceral experience.

[Maxine]

I enjoyed seeing it through the viewpoints of the various people

[Librarian Laci]

Ha Michelle, I'm glad I'm not the only one that mentally yells at the characters as I read! I definitely feel that if an author can make you feel that connected to a character, they must be doing something right! :P

[Michelle]

Not to mention the most crucial exhortation of all: “Girls! Stop talking to that strange man! And don’t even think about getting in that car! You know better!!”

[Sue]

All the viewpoints make the characters relatable to a broad audience. We know people just like this!

[Retta]

Hey Ladies I am going to join you on the Trans Siberian Train of Thoughts as to the story plots with multiple characters with multiple syllabic names.. I copied the Principal Characters list so that I did not have to keep flipping back and forth to regain my focus on the story plot. Yes I found the book developed a strong theme of a matrairch society which was evidently stronger than all those Russian male immigrants or indigenous males. Sik'nyye zhenshchiny: Translate into English : Strong Women!!