Historical

A Train to Moscow

A Train to Moscow

  • Downloads：5572
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-02-10 08:21:49
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Elena Gorokhova
  • ISBN：B0919V4MR9
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

In post–World War II Russia， a girl must reconcile a tragic past with her hope for the future in this powerful and poignant novel about family secrets， passion and loss， perseverance and ambition。

In a small， provincial town behind the Iron Curtain， Sasha lives in a house full of secrets， one of which is her own dream of becoming an actress。 When she leaves for Moscow to audition for drama school， she defies her mother and grandparents and abandons her first love， Andrei。

Before she leaves， Sasha discovers the hidden war journal of her uncle Kolya， an artist still missing in action years after the war has ended。 His pages expose the official lies and the forbidden truth of Stalin’s brutality。 Kolya’s revelations and his tragic love story guide Sasha through drama school and cement her determination to live a thousand lives onstage。 After graduation， she begins acting in Leningrad， where Andrei， now a Communist Party apparatchik， becomes a censor of her work。 As a past secret comes to light， Sasha’s ambitions converge with Andrei’s duties， and Sasha must decide if her dreams are truly worth the necessary sacrifice and if， as her grandmother likes to say， all will indeed be well。

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Reviews

Terry Kaufer ，

Dreams and RealityThe author has gifted us with a fascinating story。 We see the main characters grow from children into adults。 The poverty is apparent， but also there are the dreams and friendships which nourish them and help some achieve their goals。 Sasha is an unforgettable character。 The highest complement I can give is that I didn't want the book to end。 Dreams and RealityThe author has gifted us with a fascinating story。 We see the main characters grow from children into adults。 The poverty is apparent， but also there are the dreams and friendships which nourish them and help some achieve their goals。 Sasha is an unforgettable character。 The highest complement I can give is that I didn't want the book to end。 。。。more

Jill Solomon ，

Exception First NovelThis is a period of history I don’t know much about and I found it very interesting both on the personal and societal levels。 As a young girl， I remember Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the podium while shouting， “We will bury you。” Life magazine showed how brainwashed soviet school children were。 Here we have a young girl growing up after WWII and a view into everyday life。 But it is a story of complex relationships and secrecy that impacts choices that alter the future for Exception First NovelThis is a period of history I don’t know much about and I found it very interesting both on the personal and societal levels。 As a young girl， I remember Khrushchev pounding his shoe on the podium while shouting， “We will bury you。” Life magazine showed how brainwashed soviet school children were。 Here we have a young girl growing up after WWII and a view into everyday life。 But it is a story of complex relationships and secrecy that impacts choices that alter the future for all the characters。 。。。more

Bob Stenberg ，

The book started a little slow but it turned into a real good story of growing up in Russia post WWII。 It was a bit depressing in some parts but what a time to try to build a life。

Christine Garver ，

Absolutely marvelous

Tracy Westmeier ，

A Cold WarI honestly haven't the words to describe what this novel did to me。 History turned to fiction， and fiction turned to fact。 I have been sheltered so that this is like a Grimm's fairy tale turned into a nightmare of truth。 A Cold WarI honestly haven't the words to describe what this novel did to me。 History turned to fiction， and fiction turned to fact。 I have been sheltered so that this is like a Grimm's fairy tale turned into a nightmare of truth。 。。。more

Linda Reiser ，

I just finished A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova。 It takes place during the years after WW II in Soviet Russia。 A young girl from a small village dreams of going to Moscow to study acting。 She has two best friends， both boys。 Her uncles have died or gone missing during the war and her mother and grandparents are strict and love the motherland。 Tragedies， secrets， despair， and love all come into play as she grows up。 I enjoyed this book very much， both for the well-written story and the glimp I just finished A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova。 It takes place during the years after WW II in Soviet Russia。 A young girl from a small village dreams of going to Moscow to study acting。 She has two best friends， both boys。 Her uncles have died or gone missing during the war and her mother and grandparents are strict and love the motherland。 Tragedies， secrets， despair， and love all come into play as she grows up。 I enjoyed this book very much， both for the well-written story and the glimpse of life under Soviet rule。 。。。more

Fortune Vilcko ，

The disillusionment of living in Russia during the Stalin era told by a young girl starting when she was six and ending when she was about 30。 Through it all you can see that she is not endorsing the party line。 Through letters written by her uncle during World War II， she sees the devastation and the persecution of all who did not conform to Russian rule。 The author of this book， Elena Gorokhova， previously wrote two memoirs of her life in Russia。 She left the Soviet Union and came to America w The disillusionment of living in Russia during the Stalin era told by a young girl starting when she was six and ending when she was about 30。 Through it all you can see that she is not endorsing the party line。 Through letters written by her uncle during World War II， she sees the devastation and the persecution of all who did not conform to Russian rule。 The author of this book， Elena Gorokhova， previously wrote two memoirs of her life in Russia。 She left the Soviet Union and came to America with just one suitcase to her name！ I will have to add her memoirs to books I would like to read。 。。。more

Mary Sue Wilson ，

An Interesting ReadThe Soviet Union in post WW2 is a difficult place to live。 This well written novel depicts the secrecy and fear。 It did move a little slowly at times causing a loss of interest。 However it improved toward the layer half。 I am glad to have read it。

K Nuttall ，

This book is very well written。 The author uses descriptive imagery to convey many layers of emotions and experiences of the Russian people and their war-torn country。 Sasha grows up in a small town and then takes a train to Moscow to try for a spot at an acting college when she is 17。 Family secrets， lies， bonds of friendship， fear of failure and of success， and dreams of a better future all weave together in a remarkable way。

Louise ，

“I often think about how we itch to run away from home and then keep searching for it for the rest of our lives。”I don’t know much but the basics about Russian history， and this book has gave me the interest to learn more。Travelling through the years of Sasha’s life from her provincial town to her life as an actress on the Bolshoi theatre， all against the backdrop of post WWII/Stalin communist Russia。 I enjoyed how this story was like reading someone’s memories， Sasha’s life wasn’t a fairytale a “I often think about how we itch to run away from home and then keep searching for it for the rest of our lives。”I don’t know much but the basics about Russian history， and this book has gave me the interest to learn more。Travelling through the years of Sasha’s life from her provincial town to her life as an actress on the Bolshoi theatre， all against the backdrop of post WWII/Stalin communist Russia。 I enjoyed how this story was like reading someone’s memories， Sasha’s life wasn’t a fairytale and her relationship with Andrei broke my heart， I was hoping for a happy ending for them both， together but this story is grounded in reality。 I will look to read more history novels based in this lace and time 。。。more

Dayanara Ryelle ，

The only thing worse than taking too long to get to the point is when the protagonist's brainwashed boyfriend decides that his father is a liar， because "we don't treat inmates of our prison camps like that！"Perhaps if the author had approached it with a little glimpse of Sasha's childhood， jumped forward to her audition and then flashed back from time to time as interactions between her and Andrei as adults reminded her of their shared childhood， it might be different; but at this point， I'm ti The only thing worse than taking too long to get to the point is when the protagonist's brainwashed boyfriend decides that his father is a liar， because "we don't treat inmates of our prison camps like that！"Perhaps if the author had approached it with a little glimpse of Sasha's childhood， jumped forward to her audition and then flashed back from time to time as interactions between her and Andrei as adults reminded her of their shared childhood， it might be different; but at this point， I'm tired of waiting。 （Oh and the author doesn't bother to label time jumps， so you don't know if it's the next day or five years in the future until the protag tells you otherwise。 UGH！） 。。。more

marijaneathey ，

great readNew author interesting and spellbinding read。 If only the ending had been a little happier but in the vein of the story it would have seen disappointing。 Would read it again for sure

Coquille Fleur ，

As a fan of WWII fiction， I found this novel fascinating。 Set in the post-war Soviet Union in a small town， this is the story of Sasha and her journey out of there。 "Stubborn as a goat，" Sasha questions everything as a child and is often punished harshly by her Bolshevik grandfather for just being herself。 Her two best friends become rivals as they grow up， both in love with her， until a terrible "accident in the woods" changes everything。 Sasha's drive to become an actress takes her away from t As a fan of WWII fiction， I found this novel fascinating。 Set in the post-war Soviet Union in a small town， this is the story of Sasha and her journey out of there。 "Stubborn as a goat，" Sasha questions everything as a child and is often punished harshly by her Bolshevik grandfather for just being herself。 Her two best friends become rivals as they grow up， both in love with her， until a terrible "accident in the woods" changes everything。 Sasha's drive to become an actress takes her away from the dead-end town of her childhood， but she is always haunted by her life there。 Sasha's life as an actress in the big cities of Russia is as harrowing as her childhood。 Though she is assigned a nice apartment and Khrushchev has ushered in more lenient times， the old ways still keep her from feeling free or safe from the Communist Party's power。 This novel weaves Sasha's past and present into a future she never thought possible。 I received this free on Amazon First Reads and am glad I chose this one！ 。。。more

Debra ，

I truly enjoyed this historical fiction novel set in post-WW2 Russia behind the Iron Curtain。 I learned a lot about the political/social isolation， control and fear during this time period。 The story focuses on a young woman （Sasha） aspiring to become an actress who moves out of her small town to pursue her acting dreams。 The book is also woven around her missing uncle’s story （who is also an artist） told through his vivid war journal which has been hidden away in the family’s attic。 The main pr I truly enjoyed this historical fiction novel set in post-WW2 Russia behind the Iron Curtain。 I learned a lot about the political/social isolation， control and fear during this time period。 The story focuses on a young woman （Sasha） aspiring to become an actress who moves out of her small town to pursue her acting dreams。 The book is also woven around her missing uncle’s story （who is also an artist） told through his vivid war journal which has been hidden away in the family’s attic。 The main protagonist （Sasha） is determined to follow her childhood dream of becoming an actress as she deals with the secrets and lies of the past that haunt her throughout the book。 The forbidden love story between Sasha and her childhood sweetheart is a major thread that Sasha continues to grapple with as she questions her personal pursuit of her dreams。 Did she make the right decision？ Should she have left her family and the love of her life to pursue her acting career？ Is her missing uncle still alive？ Is she truly happy？ Ultimately， Sasha’s dedication to acting and the arts hold the key in which Sasha is able to unlock her future freedom and uncover the truth。 The author does an amazing job of building the complex relationships within this story。 The characters are well developed and the plot moves at a good pace。 The beginning was a bit bumpy for me until I grasped the characters and setting， but once I did I could not put this book down。 The book is beautifully written。 Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley （along with Cindy Burnett from Thoughts from a Page） for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Angela ，

I really enjoyed this historical， fiction novel， and it also me a glimpse into what life probably was like in the Soviet Union after WW II， Wow。 It started as a slow burn， but the pace picked up and I loved how Sasha developed into such a strong character。 A great book from Amazon First Reads for Feb。

Angie ，

Great book from start to finishThis book was a quick read。 There was never really any slow points in the book。 It is not a sappie sweet book， But is very dark with good moments。 I will definitely check out this author for other books。

Barbara ，

Set in post-World War II Soviet Union， this historical fiction is told through the eyes of Sasha， at first a precocious young girl， a teen， and later when she leaves her provincial town for Moscow to pursue her acting dreams。 Ms。 Gorokhova is a gifted writer， breathing life into the bleak world of deprivation and famine in which Sasha， her family， and her friends， Marik and Andrei， survive。 It is a story about lies and secrets， about the brutality of the NVKD， and about breaking free of other's Set in post-World War II Soviet Union， this historical fiction is told through the eyes of Sasha， at first a precocious young girl， a teen， and later when she leaves her provincial town for Moscow to pursue her acting dreams。 Ms。 Gorokhova is a gifted writer， breathing life into the bleak world of deprivation and famine in which Sasha， her family， and her friends， Marik and Andrei， survive。 It is a story about lies and secrets， about the brutality of the NVKD， and about breaking free of other's expectations。 Woven into the story are the entries in her MIA Uncle Kolya's journal， which he kept during WWII at the front and which Sasha finds hidden in a storage space in her family home， poignant observations about war and death and destruction， but also disillusionment with his country。 I will keep these characters and this story with me for some time。 The prose was beautiful; the story was compelling， although it bogged down in the middle a bit。 。。。more

Taryn ，

The start to this book was slow， the storyline is pieced together in an order that seems rather chaotic。 I very much enjoyed the ending。 It just took a while。to get there。 Sascha is a strong character and her life in Russia was very true to history which I appreciated and it gave me more chances to find other books that share the same timeline。 I gave this one a 3 based on the fact that while I finished it and enjoyed the ending it is not something I would recommend。

Susan ，

Amazon First Reads - February 2022

Christi M ，

"Our system， if you think of it， is pure genius: executioners and victims are the same people。 The engine of death has been in motion for decades， and no one is guilty because everyone is guilty。" ~Andrei Rating: 4。5 starsIt's difficult to put into words how much I appreciate stories such as these。 History books can give me facts and figures， but an historical fiction novel， such as this one， finds a way to humanize it。 It grants us a brief view into a life we've never lived in hopes that we get "Our system， if you think of it， is pure genius: executioners and victims are the same people。 The engine of death has been in motion for decades， and no one is guilty because everyone is guilty。" ~Andrei Rating: 4。5 starsIt's difficult to put into words how much I appreciate stories such as these。 History books can give me facts and figures， but an historical fiction novel， such as this one， finds a way to humanize it。 It grants us a brief view into a life we've never lived in hopes that we get a better sense of the emotional impact and personal toll that other humans have had to endure or live through。A Train to Moscow tells the story of a girl named Sasha who grows up during the days of the Iron Curtain in the 1950s-60s and dreams of being an actress。 To Sasha， becoming an actress。。。where you can pretend， if only for a few minutes， that you have escaped the world you live in is what calls her to dream。 Everyone she knows or encounters has had their life permanently altered in some way by the political regime。 From something as horrible as having a loved one dragged away for an unknown crime and never returning， to having to wait for hours in a food line。What makes this story unique is how it focuses on all the decisions one might make in the course of their life。 It's these decisions - both big and small that ends up completely shaping a person's life。 From an early age Sasha is determined to set her own course in life and become an actress。 Others fall victim to living the life that is expected of them。 While even others attempt to find a way out only to be exactly where they never wanted to be。The main story has a narration style of storytelling and if I'm honest， it did take a chapter or two for me to settle in。 At first， when I started reading the story， I thought I had a general idea of what to expect。 I thought it would all be sad or perhaps that I'd be angry at the unfairness of it all， but that's not how it turned out to be。 It evoked many different emotions from me that I wasn't anticipating。 And while I felt those sad and angry emotions there was also a little bit of everything else， including hope。Overall， I enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and this period of history。 。。。more

Linda Galella ，

“All will be well” - words that heroine， Sasha， heard from her grandmother over her entire life。 Sometimes these words brought comfort， sometimes they mocked but always they grounded her back to the one adult that loved her unconditionally。“A Train to Moscow” is not the typical WW2 novel， in fact， there’s nothing typical about this book at all。 It’s a debut offering from author， Elena Gorokhova and is a history lesson inside a superb character study。Sasha is 6 years old when the story begins and “All will be well” - words that heroine， Sasha， heard from her grandmother over her entire life。 Sometimes these words brought comfort， sometimes they mocked but always they grounded her back to the one adult that loved her unconditionally。“A Train to Moscow” is not the typical WW2 novel， in fact， there’s nothing typical about this book at all。 It’s a debut offering from author， Elena Gorokhova and is a history lesson inside a superb character study。Sasha is 6 years old when the story begins and 30 something at the conclusion。 By way of journal entries from an uncle she’s never met， Sasha learns about war， politics， love， life， art， and family。 She questions everyone and everything， not conforming as most girls did。 Pushing boundaries and occasional defiance lead her from a small village at the end of the train line to Moscow and success at becoming a well known actress， against the wishes of her mother and grandfather。I found the historical information to be extremely interesting， especially the differences between Lenin and Stalin on the life of peasants。 All of this is woven into the story organically and is not boring or dry。 Author， Gorokhova， was born and raised in Russia and went to university in Leningrad where a large portion of the story takes place。 Her prose is wonderfully descriptive of all aspects - food， clothing， architecture， landscapes， etc。 I can’t help but think this story would make a wonderful miniseries。There are a few f-bombs and soft expletives but they are utterances that fit the situation and characters。 Violence and sexual content is minimal， non-descriptive， perhaps PG rated。“A Train to Moscow” is such an extraordinary book and so much more complex than my brief review。 It includes young romance that’s not typical and neither is the mature version。 Tragedy， victory， family secrets， politics; there’s something for everyone in this book and it’s all very well done📚 。。。more

Lauren ，

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the Amazon First Reads Program。

Sorcha ，

From Amazon First reads （free）To be read and reviewed later

Rebecca ，

Kindle First Reads - February 2022

Kristin （Always With a Book） ，

RTC

Karen ，

Picked up this title as an amazon first reads pick for February。 Read a bit so far， very interesting。

The History Mom ，

I loved this book about the Soviet Union in the years after World War II。 Told through the eyes of Sasha， a precocious girl from a provincial town who transforms into a strong-willed woman， I learned so much about Soviet history， culture， and politics from this tumultuous time behind the Iron Curtain。 Sasha becomes an actress in the country’s prestigious theater， which comes at a great cost to her family and her romantic life。 The way the author describes how actors inhabit their characters is s I loved this book about the Soviet Union in the years after World War II。 Told through the eyes of Sasha， a precocious girl from a provincial town who transforms into a strong-willed woman， I learned so much about Soviet history， culture， and politics from this tumultuous time behind the Iron Curtain。 Sasha becomes an actress in the country’s prestigious theater， which comes at a great cost to her family and her romantic life。 The way the author describes how actors inhabit their characters is so vivid， you can picture the scenes in your head。 The story is at times heartbreaking yet hopeful， challenging yet fulfilling。 Even amidst the harsh political times， she finds time to have friends， fall in love， and create her art。 Life goes on but there’s always a tinge of fear lurking around every corner。 And the flashbacks to her uncle in the trenches of World War II were some of the most memorable scenes from any WWII book I’ve read。 。。。more

Lynette Burnett ，

A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova is a literary experience in 4 acts。 It was one of the most unique and beautiful books I’ve read lately。 Act 1 starts with Sasha， Marik and Andrei are childhood best friends living in a provincial Russian town after the end of WW II。 Each is experiencing the effects and trauma of the war， and leadership of Stalin， in their own way。 As they grow， their differences bring them together， but also threaten to tear them apart。 Act 2-Sasha dares to leave her family， A Train to Moscow by Elena Gorokhova is a literary experience in 4 acts。 It was one of the most unique and beautiful books I’ve read lately。 Act 1 starts with Sasha， Marik and Andrei are childhood best friends living in a provincial Russian town after the end of WW II。 Each is experiencing the effects and trauma of the war， and leadership of Stalin， in their own way。 As they grow， their differences bring them together， but also threaten to tear them apart。 Act 2-Sasha dares to leave her family， take the titular， Train to Moscow。 There she grows， exploring her new world， while still being tethered to the old world in many ways。 Act 3- A mature Sasha experiences love and loss。Act 4- Sasha’s eyes are completely open and she experiences a loss of the world she thought she knew， and moves into a new life。 This is a beautifully told story of love and letting go。 It explores the relationship between duty and want。 It’s about mothers and daughters， war and peace。 It’s about before and after。 It’s about boundaries and freedom。 This would make a great book club book。 There’s so much to explore and discuss throughout this book。 I really enjoyed learning about post-war Russia， as well as learning how the policies of the Russian state impacted so many lives during and after the war。 Thank you to #netgalley and #lakeunionpublishing for the advanced e-copy of #atraintomoscow。 。。。more

Susan ，

4。25 stars。 I thoroughly relished this novel set behind the Iron Curtain in Russia。 Immersed into the life of the main character， Sasha， I was enraptured， and at times， awestruck， by the cultural experience the author envelopes us in by means of her gorgeous writing。 The story begins with a young Sasha living her childhood in a small provincial town。 The texture of Sasha’s relationships with her family and friends， and her dreams for the future， set the stage for this historical fiction gem。 The 4。25 stars。 I thoroughly relished this novel set behind the Iron Curtain in Russia。 Immersed into the life of the main character， Sasha， I was enraptured， and at times， awestruck， by the cultural experience the author envelopes us in by means of her gorgeous writing。 The story begins with a young Sasha living her childhood in a small provincial town。 The texture of Sasha’s relationships with her family and friends， and her dreams for the future， set the stage for this historical fiction gem。 The novel is rich in love， devastation， sadness， family secrets， fear， and hope。 I was captivated。Thank you to Lake Union Publishing （and Cindy Burnett） for the advance reader copy， in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Train to Moscow

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Train to Moscow&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Train to Moscow&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0