[BWF] One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn- 4 stars

[Jen K]

A short but powerful story of a day in the life of a political prisoner in the gulags in Siberia. It is only one day but so detailed to actually feel the hunger, the cold and the fear but also the comradeship of the squads. Ivan shares that the worst punishment is not being allowed to work, to lose that little bit of meaningfulness to build something, to support his fellow prisoners and stay warm through action. It is such a fascinating slice of life to learn about who the prisoners and the actions (or not really actions) that get them sent to prison. Even reading the story, it is hard to imagine surviving such terrible conditions. The details even of how close shoes should get to the fire without being ruined. I really appreciated learning more about life in the gulag.

BWF Tenacious Trailblazers: Europe x 61