My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region
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- Create Date：2022-11-17 02:19:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Alina Adams
- ISBN：B0B47YRZ4C
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Reviews
Jannelies
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About the author: New York Times best-selling author， soap opera insider， and pioneer in online storytelling， Alina Adams， was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to the U。S。 at age seven， where she learned English by watching American soap operas at their home in San Francisco。 Alina's childhood and immigration experience was the inspiration for her two latest historical fiction novels， "The Nesting Dolls" （2020）， and "My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Re About the author: New York Times best-selling author， soap opera insider， and pioneer in online storytelling， Alina Adams， was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to the U。S。 at age seven， where she learned English by watching American soap operas at their home in San Francisco。 Alina's childhood and immigration experience was the inspiration for her two latest historical fiction novels， "The Nesting Dolls" （2020）， and "My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region" （2022）。So here I am， with no knowledge of this author or her books， and reading the name Birobidzhan for the first time。 I must admit I have somewhat of an interest in the history of Russia because of the many famous composers， painters and authors， but I always tried to stay clear of delving too deep in the political history of this country。 I’ve learned a lot from this book， both about Jewish and Russian history， and about unexpected resilience。 Regina Solomonova is only 18 when she has to flee her home in Moscow and ends up in Birobidzhan， a place she wanted to go to from the moment she heard of it。 After all， what’s there for her in Moscow， living with her parents in one small room of what was once their home？ The rest of the property is filled with strangers because that’s what happened in the Sovjet Union in the 1930’s。 You were not supposed to have more than other people and now the thought of how the family once had need of a live-in maid and a ‘ linen room’ （why would you own more than one set？） is absurd。 Reading about Regina’s journey to Birobidzhan alone gave me chills， and not only because she was travelling in very cold weather。 Only the thought that she would be safe there， far from prying eyes and among likeminded people， kept her going。 After all， when you’re young and strong and filled with the best intentions to make something of your life so you can help others， what can go wrong？ Well， a lot of things went wrong with the idea’s of Stalin and the like， and Regina can see it， but she cannot believe it。 All her young life it was drilled into her that if you follow the rules， and be obedient， you will have a happy and fulfilling life。 So Regina sets to work – she has to help harvest barley in the freezing cold of autumn。 There are no tools; she and all the other workers have to use their hands。 When she questions this， the answer is that Birobidzhan was equipped with all the tools they would need。 Only they are not there。 And this is only the first thing Regina has to wrap her mind around。 The way she has to live – no decent food， no decent clothing， nothing to do but work， work， work and be careful with what you think and say。 Because fleeing Moscow didn’t make life any safer as she hoped。 On the contrary; almost everything Regina thinks， says and does could lead to severe punishment。 A large part of the book is filled with quotes from Stalin， and it still boggles the mind why people would believe all that – especially people who can actually see that it’s not working。 Regina is often between a rock and a hard place， because the only person she feels attracted to in the camp is Aaron Kramer， a young man with （sometimes dangerous） ideas， and Felix， the commander of the camp。 The parts where all inhabitants have to meet weekly to offer ideas （they don’t have the courage） or criticise themselves and others （they are very much afraid of the repercussions） belong to he best parts in the book because they are very， very tense。 As said in the numerous reviews before this one， Regina follows Aaron to the front and then to the POW camps where he’s being held by the Nazis。 This too， is a very intense part of the story。 The books ends on a happy note， at the end of the 1980’s。 Despite that I felt sad after reading it because we all know what happened in later years， and in fact is still happening。 I’m very happy I got to read this book and I cannot recommend it enough。 Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy。 。。。more
Fran
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**Publication Day**"Mama rarely wanted Lena to know anything。。。never inquired how she was feeling or what she was thinking。。。Mama didn't care enough to bother。" "Mom had promised。。。Lena never knew until now。" Going through Dad's dental office records after his death， Lena unearthed three files of letters， newspaper clippings and "the fates of Soviet WWII veterans in general， one veteran in particular。" For 4o years， Lena's father had been trying to ascertain the whereabouts of Aaron Kramer。" Eig **Publication Day**"Mama rarely wanted Lena to know anything。。。never inquired how she was feeling or what she was thinking。。。Mama didn't care enough to bother。" "Mom had promised。。。Lena never knew until now。" Going through Dad's dental office records after his death， Lena unearthed three files of letters， newspaper clippings and "the fates of Soviet WWII veterans in general， one veteran in particular。" For 4o years， Lena's father had been trying to ascertain the whereabouts of Aaron Kramer。" Eighteen year old Regina "trusted the wrong people listened to the wrong voices。。。she needed to sneak out like a thief" to avoid becoming a victim of Stalin's Purge。 Hurriedly， she purchased a train ticket to leave Moscow， failing to acquire resettlement authorization。 If only she could make it to Birobidzhan。 In 1930， Josef Stalin had created the Jewish Autonomous Oblast （district） in the former Soviet Far East between the USSR and Manchuria。 Posters had abounded with the promise of fertile land。 Birobidzhan was touted as a pioneering community， an independent， thriving Jewish socialist state， where Yiddish was taught in school。。。"。 Jews were being convinced "to relocate to the furthest eastern point on the Trans-Siberian Railroad， where they would be safe， out of the way。。"。 Immerging from an eight-day railroad journey from Moscow， Regina stepped ankle deep into a swampy， unplowed field。Having lived in a communal apartment in 1930s Moscow， "you could believe someone was your compatriot-your friend-for years。 Then， in the space of a single knock on the door， everything could fall apart。" Who could Regina trust？ It was no different in Birobidzhan。 The head of the Village Soviet claimed equal distribution， however， farming tools， seed and cattle promised by Moscow were not forthcoming。 If production quotas were met， why were workers covered in festering bug bites， wearing shredded clothing and living a substandard existence？ Aaron Kramer， whose sector had the most productive yield， dared to suggest crop rotation and the need for additional workers。 By unanimous vote， the idea was struck down by Felix， the Commandant of the Village Soviet。 Regina found herself between a rock and a hard place。 "。。。agreeing with Felix would protect her。 Agreeing with Aaron would expose her。 "After a silent lack of compliance with Felix's principles， Aaron Kramer was shipped to the Eastern Front to fight against the German invasion of the Soviet Union。 Regina followed， walking hundreds of miles through enemy territory with her newborn， Lena， cradled in a sling。 She arrived at the German POW camp where Aaron was imprisoned。 Claiming she was a widowed Polish citizen with a newborn， she insisted that her nursing skills were needed at the camp。 Regina， with nerves of steel and a poker face。 Aaron was enraged。 Why did she follow him and endanger her safety and the well being of the baby？"My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region" by Alina Adams is a historical fiction read of the 2oth Century's first Jewish Autonomous Region， a lesser known area of Jewish settlement。 Author Adams adeptly presents a novel of love， resilience and amazing determination against the backdrop of Soviet-German wartime encounters as well as the unsettling treatment of Soviet POWs by the Germans and the Soviet Government itself after the war。 Highly recommended。Thank you History Through Fiction and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Chelsie
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Another very well written historical novel that I learned a lot from。 I had never heard of Birobidzhan and the concept of trying to create a Jewish autonomous region during the brink of WWII。 This novel follows Regina as a young impressionable adult in Moscow， fearing for her life she heads for refuge to Birobidzhan in hopes for a new start and better life。 Regina quickly learns there are rules to follow and often pushes that line with the two men who are often competing against each other for w Another very well written historical novel that I learned a lot from。 I had never heard of Birobidzhan and the concept of trying to create a Jewish autonomous region during the brink of WWII。 This novel follows Regina as a young impressionable adult in Moscow， fearing for her life she heads for refuge to Birobidzhan in hopes for a new start and better life。 Regina quickly learns there are rules to follow and often pushes that line with the two men who are often competing against each other for what is best for everyone。 Regina is tugged between being loyal to each of them， but it doesn't take long for her to realize how things really are ran in this place。 Putting herself and others are risk she makes a decision and promise that will carry her through the rest of her life。 On the death bed of her husband， he asks a question that brings into question everything her daughter knew and understood about her mother and where they had come from。 Determined to find out the truth， Lena makes a decision that will also alter her life and everything she has lived for。 I really enjoyed this novel， it was another piece of WWII history that I had no idea about。 Thank you to HFVBT's for the invite and to the author and publisher for the free novel！ 。。。more
Dive Into A Good Book
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My Mother's Secret is bursting with knowledge。 I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of Birobidzham， the Jewish Autonomous Region that the Russian's formed in 1934。 A bleak desolate land at the edge of the earth。 Where the summers are blazing hot， and the winters are as cold as ice。 Alina Adams takes you on a deep dive into the past， bringing you back to how the Jewish people were treated in the USSR during World War II。 Birobidzham was a dream， a place where Jewish people could live out th My Mother's Secret is bursting with knowledge。 I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of Birobidzham， the Jewish Autonomous Region that the Russian's formed in 1934。 A bleak desolate land at the edge of the earth。 Where the summers are blazing hot， and the winters are as cold as ice。 Alina Adams takes you on a deep dive into the past， bringing you back to how the Jewish people were treated in the USSR during World War II。 Birobidzham was a dream， a place where Jewish people could live out their days being able to truly be themselves and not have to hide。 They could toile in the fields and yield crops beyond their wildest dreams。 Sounds too good to be true， well it was。 Lena and her mother Regina are standing vigil besides her father as he draws his final breath， he whispers， "You couldn't tell， could you？" Leaving Lena confused as she says goodbye to the father who was her everything。 She finally asks her mother what he meant， and her life takes an immediate turn。 Deeply guarded family secrets are unearthed， leaving you breathless and shocked。 The way she looks upon her mother has changed。 She is no longer the tough unloving woman， but a brave， strong woman who would do anything for the man she loved。This book will slowly draw you in。 The descriptions will transport you to a land and a life you would never want to be forced into。 The mind games that the Russian's played to have their people be submissive and brainwashed will make your head spin。 At times， the book read like a dense textbook。 You must look beneath the layers to draw out the story。 Thank you to Alina Adams， History Through Fiction， and HF Virtual Book Tours for this enlightening read。 。。。more
Jannelies
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Review to follow。
Kristine
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After her husband’s death in 1988， Regina looks back and slowly reveals bits and pieces of her past to her daughter。 It includes Stalin’s purges， Siberian gulags， World War II， the frozen Eastern Front， a German P。O。W。 Stalag， fear， repression， hope， and immense personal sacrifice。 Also listening to one’s own judgment “instead of ceding it to somebody else。”As Lena listens， stunned， she suddenly realizes "she’d never known her mother at all。”Young Regina flees Moscow during Stalin’s reign of ter After her husband’s death in 1988， Regina looks back and slowly reveals bits and pieces of her past to her daughter。 It includes Stalin’s purges， Siberian gulags， World War II， the frozen Eastern Front， a German P。O。W。 Stalag， fear， repression， hope， and immense personal sacrifice。 Also listening to one’s own judgment “instead of ceding it to somebody else。”As Lena listens， stunned， she suddenly realizes "she’d never known her mother at all。”Young Regina flees Moscow during Stalin’s reign of terror。 A half-step ahead of the dreaded NKVD， Regina runs to Birobidzhan。 She has high hopes for the socialist autonomous Jewish community until toiling in the fields in primitive conditions throws a cold splash of Reality on her dreams。 But it’s not all bad。Here she meets the dashing， kind-hearted Aaron Kramer。 He’s head of Regina’s agricultural detail。 The pair falls in love。 The romance blossoms into a marriage proposal。 But Aaron has also drawn the ire of Birobidzhan’s Soviet leader， Felix。 Regina has caught Felix’s eye as well。 In a fit of jealousy and rage， Felix “arranges” for Aaron to be transferred to the Red Army and the Eastern Front。Regina refuses to leave Aaron。 She exits the community， joins a medical unit， looks for and finally reunites with the love of her life。 A baby is born。 Then Aaron’s unit is transferred。 Shortly thereafter， word reaches Regina that her beloved Aaron has been taken prisoner by the Germans。 Undaunted， Regina makes up her mind to find him and bring Aaron home。 Can she？ And at what cost？Forty years later。。。 Oh， wait。 You'll have to read the book yourself for that。Fascinating and deeply immersive， My Mother’s Secret is a compelling love story set against the sweeping backdrop of the old Soviet Union。 Think Doctor Zhivago meets Fiddler on the Roof meets Exodus。 With snow。 Lots of snow。Rooted in a little-known chapter of Soviet history， My Mother’s Secret is a powerful story about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters。 It’s also about consequences， the beauty of hope， and choosing wisely。Beautifully written， thoroughly researched， and utterly absorbing， My Mother’s Secret expertly combines riveting historical fiction， compelling characters， high octane action， and a poignant love story。 It’s sure to melt even the most Siberian hearts。 I'd grab a copy， 'fize you。 Now would be good。 。。。more
S。
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A friend of mine has very recently written a review of this wonderful book， which she kindly shared with me before publication。 I could not help but borrowing her copy the very same evening and loved it！ As someone who is familiar with the history of Birobidzhan， I was delighted to finally encounter it in a historical fiction novel。 I'm already looking forward to Alina's next book！ A friend of mine has very recently written a review of this wonderful book， which she kindly shared with me before publication。 I could not help but borrowing her copy the very same evening and loved it！ As someone who is familiar with the history of Birobidzhan， I was delighted to finally encounter it in a historical fiction novel。 I'm already looking forward to Alina's next book！ 。。。more
Darlene Golbitz
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was fascinated to learn of the existence of Birobidzhan， the Jewish Autonomous Region created in Russia pre WWII。 This relevant and well researched family saga provided insight into the lives of the Jewish people impacted by Stalin and the war。 With this historical novel of love and loss， identity and relationships， Alina Adams beautifully portrayed Russian Jewish culture in America and the implications of immigration。
Darlene Golbitz
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I was fascinated to learn of the existence of Birobidzhan， the Jewish Autonomous Region created in Russia pre WWII。 This relevant and well researched family saga provided insight into the lives of the Jewish people impacted by Stalin and the war。 With this historical novel of love and loss， identity and relationships， Alina Adams beautifully portrayed Russian Jewish culture in America and the implications of immigration。
Jeanne
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A slow-moving fact based first half novel。 The second half picks up speed and becomes so much more interesting。 The author has chosen a subject that is incredibly interesting， A novel of love and war。 Atrocities and kindness。 Courage。 Thank you to Librarything。com and Historythroughfiction Publishing for a copy of this book。
Marilyn
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My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams was an engrossing and compelling historical fiction novel。 Alina Adams used her personal knowledge of having grown up Jewish in the Soviet Union， having had immigrated to the United States and her extensive masterful research to write about the Soviet Union in the years prior to， during and after World War II。 The thing that I love about reading historical fiction most is learning about things that I had not previously known about。 Alina Adams accomplished that My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams was an engrossing and compelling historical fiction novel。 Alina Adams used her personal knowledge of having grown up Jewish in the Soviet Union， having had immigrated to the United States and her extensive masterful research to write about the Soviet Union in the years prior to， during and after World War II。 The thing that I love about reading historical fiction most is learning about things that I had not previously known about。 Alina Adams accomplished that for me in her latest book， My Mother’s Secret。 She introduced me to the existence of Birobidzhan， the first Jewish Autonomous region that was created on May 7， 1934 by Russia。 Its location was situated on the border that Russia shared with China。 Birobidzhan was created for the purpose of giving Jews from all over the world a place to live a peaceful life that was “socialist in content and national in form”。 The Soviet government lured Jews to Birobidzhan through pamphlets that contained enough propaganda to make Birobidzhan seem way more desirable than it actually was。 It was located not too far from the Trans-Siberian Railway。 Its inhabitants practiced collective farming but the harsh weather conditions made both farming and life very difficult there。 Although the government wanted to portray Birobidzhan as a socialist utopia， it was far from actually being that。 Alina Adams also portrayed what it was like to live in the Soviet Union under Stalin’s Terror reign during the 1930’s。 She also exposed how Soviet POW prisoners were treated in the camps the Nazis established。 My Mother’s Secret was well plotted and offered much insight into a side of World War II and Russian history that I was not aware of。 Her extensive research was impeccable。My Mother’s Secret was about Regina Solomonova’s journey。 It was about a journey that ultimately led her to be able to unburden her secrets and reveal them to her daughter。 These were secrets that she had kept hidden for so long but it was finally time to share them with her daughter。 Regina and Lena had just returned from the hospital where Tommy， Lena’s father and Regina’s husband had just died。 Lena and her husband drove Regina home。 Lena chose to stay with her mother instead of going to her own home。 She did not feel comfortable leaving her mother alone at a time like this。 Lena and her mother never had a close or warm relationship but Lena felt compelled to be with her mother at this pivotal time in both of their lives。 Both of them started to go through Tommy’s things to keep busy and keep their minds off his passing。 Lena went down to her father’s dental office so she could begin to shred old bills and patient information when she found correspondence her father had written。 These inquiring letters， that Lena discovered were written to members of Congress and diplomats， spanned over the past forty years。 They all inquired about a Soviet vet named Aaron Kramer。 Lena could not imagine who this man was and why her father had spent over forty years trying to gather information about him and his whereabouts。 When Regina suddenly appeared at the door of Tommy’s office， Lena asked her mother who Aaron Kramer was and if she knew why her father had been searching for him for the last forty years？ For the first time in Lena’s life， her mother started to recount her life for her daughter and share the secrets she had harbored for so long。 Regina started telling her daughter about her life， things she had not spoken about to Lena ever before。 Once Regina began she could not stop。 Regina shared everything about her life with her daughter。 She began in Moscow， told her why and how she began living in Birobidzhan， explained how she ended up working in a Nazi POW camp and finally how she met Tommy， married him and came to live in America。 Lena listened intently。 She finally got to see a side of her mother she never knew existed。 How would this admission change their relationship？ Would Lena find out who Aaron Kramer was and why her father spent over forty years searching for him？I really enjoyed reading My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams。 As I previously stated， I learned so much about Russian life under Stalin and different aspects about World War II that I had not known about。 My Mother’s Secret involved a mystery， several meaningful friendships and a love story。 It dealt with loss， acceptance， courage， faithfulness， identity， determination， willingness to sacrifice and love。 I think the cover is amazing！ Overall， I really enjoyed reading My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams and highly recommend it。Thank you to History Through Fiction LLC for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC of My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams in exchange for an honest review。 Publication is expected on November 15， 2022。 。。。more
Gina Sconyers
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My favorite time period for Historical Fiction books is WW2， so right off the bat this book was meant for me。 I enjoyed reading the entire book。 I was excited everyday during my reading time to see what adventures Regina was facing。 The book offered a perspective I hadn’t been familiar with - the USSR during WW2， Birobidzhan， Soviets in Nazi camps。 I was enlightened， I was engulfed and most of all I was charmed by the love story throughout the book。 Great love comes at great sacrifice。 Thank you My favorite time period for Historical Fiction books is WW2， so right off the bat this book was meant for me。 I enjoyed reading the entire book。 I was excited everyday during my reading time to see what adventures Regina was facing。 The book offered a perspective I hadn’t been familiar with - the USSR during WW2， Birobidzhan， Soviets in Nazi camps。 I was enlightened， I was engulfed and most of all I was charmed by the love story throughout the book。 Great love comes at great sacrifice。 Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy。 。。。more
theliterateleprechaun
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First of all， wow。 Just wow。 I’d never heard of Birobidzhan before。 How is this possible？ Author Alina Adams explores the depths one will go to save a loved one and manages to provide a history lesson for those of us who know little about this region。 In this fascinating family saga， Adams informs readers of the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region on the border of Russia and China and invites her readers to follow 18-year-old Regina on her journey from Moscow to the Jewish homeland in Russia First of all， wow。 Just wow。 I’d never heard of Birobidzhan before。 How is this possible？ Author Alina Adams explores the depths one will go to save a loved one and manages to provide a history lesson for those of us who know little about this region。 In this fascinating family saga， Adams informs readers of the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region on the border of Russia and China and invites her readers to follow 18-year-old Regina on her journey from Moscow to the Jewish homeland in Russia。 Along the way， readers gain a greater understanding of Josef Stalin’s Great Terror purges and help Regina make sense of her father’s dying words。。 Secondly， the character growth is amazing。 It was a slow-building friendship， but I finally appreciated Regina and all she faced。 For me， it’s important to see a character question themselves， their religious beliefs， and， in this case， socialism and those in power， in their progression。 It must have been such a heartbreaking realization to discover that， after years of unquestioning acceptance， those you thought were keeping your best interests at heart…weren’t。 Never were。 I felt like I was back in university， Googling every unfamiliar term and trying to get a sense of what was happening in Russia at the time。 I wonder if other readers， whose curiosity wouldn’t let them read further until they understood， felt like it interrupted the flow。 This was a ‘meaty’ book with lots to digest and it definitely deserves a re-read to understand it better。 I felt like I was treading water in the deep end。 Don’t get me wrong， this is a good thing。 I love books that show me a piece of history I didn’t know about and force me to look into it further。 At times a bit unbelievable， the romance was a timely break from Soviet politics。 I was in awe at the determination and sacrifice Regina displayed in her quest to find herself， find answers， and find courage on her way to safety。 If you are curious about the 20th century’s first Jewish state or have read The Nesting Dolls， this is a great novel to add to your reading list。 Congratulations on a great cover， Christine Horner！ One of the best historical fiction covers I’ve seen。 I was gifted this copy by History Through Fiction and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 。。。more
Melissa
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I won this from the "Library Thing " website to read and review。I thought this was a beautiful fictional based on fact story and a beautiful love story as well。 It had a happy ending， and I really liked that as well。 I couldn't stop reading。 One of the best historical Holocaust fiction novels I have had occasion to read。I honestly can say I highly recommend it！ I won this from the "Library Thing " website to read and review。I thought this was a beautiful fictional based on fact story and a beautiful love story as well。 It had a happy ending， and I really liked that as well。 I couldn't stop reading。 One of the best historical Holocaust fiction novels I have had occasion to read。I honestly can say I highly recommend it！ 。。。more
Joni
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Reading is about exposure to things you never knew about and experiences you would never have in real life。 From that perspective， I really enjoyed this novel。 It provided insight into Russia （USSR） in the 1930s and Birobidzhan， the 20th Century’s Jewish state。Interwoven into the story is the main character， Regina’s experiences with war， love， loss and sacrifice。 It is interesting to see how people can be led to believe certain ideals that don’t stand up。 This is a good work of historical ficti Reading is about exposure to things you never knew about and experiences you would never have in real life。 From that perspective， I really enjoyed this novel。 It provided insight into Russia （USSR） in the 1930s and Birobidzhan， the 20th Century’s Jewish state。Interwoven into the story is the main character， Regina’s experiences with war， love， loss and sacrifice。 It is interesting to see how people can be led to believe certain ideals that don’t stand up。 This is a good work of historical fiction， and I am appreciative all I learned about Jewish history。 I did find areas within the novel that fell flat or maybe the characters weren’t full developed and I felt there was more。 For that reason， I am only giving this novel 3。5 stars rounded up to 4。I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Book Loft Reader
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams is a novel that tells the story of a young Soviet Jew， Regina during the pre-World War II years and after as well as all the events during WWII。 This book spans the time before， after， and during WWII; Alina Adams does a seamless job at making these transitions between each of the actions of the book。 This book begins during what is known as Josef Stalin’s Great Terror Regina begins to fear for her live as she has become very friendly with her new neighbor who c My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams is a novel that tells the story of a young Soviet Jew， Regina during the pre-World War II years and after as well as all the events during WWII。 This book spans the time before， after， and during WWII; Alina Adams does a seamless job at making these transitions between each of the actions of the book。 This book begins during what is known as Josef Stalin’s Great Terror Regina begins to fear for her live as she has become very friendly with her new neighbor who can be considered to be a revoluntionist。 She decided to leave Moscow and head to Birobidzhan and how the beginning of World War II affected the citizens of Birobidzhan and the USSR overall。 We are also shown how the Soviet Union was involved in World War II and how the events of The Holocaust and of the war effected the Soviets。 After Regina’s husband passes away， she proceeds to tell her daughter her story and how they came to be in America。 We follow the story of Regina living in the USSR， modern day Russia pre-WWII， during the war， and how she immigrated to the United States。 tThere were many aspects that I enjoyed while reading Adams' novel including the development of the characters。 As I progressed through the novel I could definitely see Regina's character arc change from when she was first introduced to when she had to become involved in the war effort。 When we first met Regina she was a very naive and sometimes self-centered young lady as she believed anything the Soviet leaders relay to the citizens。 As she continues on her journey while at the same time faces new situations by herself she becomes more independent as a character。 Regina’s character also becomes more independent in regards to her role as a woman during this time。 Many women during this time period were seen as objects and property of men。 Adams does an exceptional job at showing her readers how the circumstances that Regina faces during her time in the USSR， Birobidzhan， and the Prisoner of War Camp （POW Camps） has changed her and how she responds to various situations。 However， we are also able to see how Regina still retreats back to her younger self-centered and naive self 。 When thinking about the men in this novel and their characters - they do not go through major character arcs like Regina did。 I really enjoyed this as when thinking about the man’s role in a pre-historic role in society they did not really go through major changes as they were seen as the central figure。 This is accurately portrayed in Alina Adams novel as Aaron and Felix characters do not undergo any major changes， but stay very true to the character that we were introduced to in the beginning。 tThe main atmosphere of My Mother’s Secret was Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region/Oblast （JAR） Birobidzhan which was a region where the USSR wanted to contain all the Soviet Jews and Stalang K-3 - a POW camp in Poland。 There was not a lot of detail about Moscow， however as seen in the summary Regina was trying to flee Moscow， however we are not given a clear description on where she was going or why。 I did find this a little frustrating as I like to know everything that is going on。 However I did appreciate this as what I was feeling was exactly how many USSR citizens felt like during this time。 As I continued to progress through the story I was able to clear my original thoughts and ideas on what the JAR and Birobidzhan were。 In regards to the POW camp， I was able to have a better grasp on this， as I am more familiar with the POW camps than I was with the USSR attempt to create a Jewish homeland before Israel was established。 When Regina arrived at each of these places， Adams was able to convey a very descriptive of each of them in a way where I was able to understand each of these places and how they were different from where Regina was and where she was heading。 When the Soviets were talking about The United States， many of the Soviets had a negative image of The United States。 This helped to add to the authenticity of the novel。 tI think that this book helps to bring attention to what happened to many of the Soviet Jews during the during World War II as well as a couple years before and after。 I found the beginning of this novel a little challenging personally as I was not as historically familiar with the events that occurred during this time period in the USSR 。 I have read many book about WWII in regards to The Holocaust and Germany， however this was the first time that I read about what was happening over in the USSR。 I did enjoy learning about the JAR， Birobidzhan， and about the treatment of prisoners of the POW camps。 I think that my main problem with this novel was my limited knowledge， however going back into the summary I think that many readers will be able to have a better understanding of what the JAR and Birobidzhan was and how it plays an important role in the novel。 There will be certain words that are not familiar to the readers， however they are not as integral to the plot as the JAR and Birobidzhen were。 Overall， I really enjoyed reading this novel and have learned about Russia’s past。 I would recommend this book for anyone who is willing to take the time to learn about Russia’s history during and around World War II。 I am looking forward to purchasing My Mother’s Secret for my own personal library。 tI would like to thank Alina Adams， Net Gallery， and History Through Fiction for the opportunity to read My Mother’s Secret。 。。。more
Sherry Chiger
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Few people know about Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast， the USSR's failed attempt to create a Jewish homeland several decades before the establishment of Israel。 "My Mother's Secret" shines a light on the locality's early days， as well as on the horrors of the Soviet army during World War II and the horrific treatment of Soviet POWs， by both the Germans during the war and their own government afterward。 The depiction of all this seems to be impeccably researched and authentic。 What felt less au Few people know about Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast， the USSR's failed attempt to create a Jewish homeland several decades before the establishment of Israel。 "My Mother's Secret" shines a light on the locality's early days， as well as on the horrors of the Soviet army during World War II and the horrific treatment of Soviet POWs， by both the Germans during the war and their own government afterward。 The depiction of all this seems to be impeccably researched and authentic。 What felt less authentic to me was the love story at the center of the book。 There were enough convenient coincidences to make Dickens blush， and the character Aaron seemed more wish fulfillment than flesh-and-blood。 What's more， at times the language of 1930s and '40s Regina was jarringly glib and modern。 Nonetheless the pace was quick and my attention rarely wavered， and though I think most dual-timeline novels are lazy—if the main， historical story were strong enough， would it need the contemporary framing device？—here the flanking present-day sections of the book enhanced and completed the already solid historical core。 Thank you， History Through Fiction， IBPA， and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ginette
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was a very interesting story。 （There are mild spoilers below）The story is about a daughter who finds out more of her parent's story and how they survived WW2 after her father's death。 The death of her husband requires Regina to tell her daughter about her growing up in Russia pre-WW2， fighting in the war， and how she came to America post WW2。 I have read many stories of WW2， but hadn't previously read anything about the JAR （Jewish Autonomous Region） or about German POW camps。I really appre This was a very interesting story。 （There are mild spoilers below）The story is about a daughter who finds out more of her parent's story and how they survived WW2 after her father's death。 The death of her husband requires Regina to tell her daughter about her growing up in Russia pre-WW2， fighting in the war， and how she came to America post WW2。 I have read many stories of WW2， but hadn't previously read anything about the JAR （Jewish Autonomous Region） or about German POW camps。I really appreciate the author's notes in the "Fact from Fiction" section， where she details how her own history shaped the story and also the research。 I received a copy of this book from netgalley。 。。。more
Dona Burke
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Review to I've read many historical fiction WWII novels and Adams' book touches on an area that I was not familiar with at all; the Jewish Autonomous Region which was located on the boarder of Russia and China。 It was an area set in Far East Russia for Jews to pursue cultural autonomy。 My Mother's Secret is historical fiction based on facts novel that had me feel as though I was a shadow following Regina in her life's journeys as she fled Moscow to give aid in the JAR camp。 From there she finds Review to I've read many historical fiction WWII novels and Adams' book touches on an area that I was not familiar with at all; the Jewish Autonomous Region which was located on the boarder of Russia and China。 It was an area set in Far East Russia for Jews to pursue cultural autonomy。 My Mother's Secret is historical fiction based on facts novel that had me feel as though I was a shadow following Regina in her life's journeys as she fled Moscow to give aid in the JAR camp。 From there she finds herself on a journey following a man she loves who serves in the Russian military。 I'll say that I was deeply affected by Regina's determination to pursue nursing in order to remain close to her loved one， to have worked in a German camp treating and saving the lives of Russian， American， and yes， Nazi military， and finally， once American tanks arrived to save them， she reluctantly left her love behind in order to keep her young daughter safe。 Although the bond of love may be the background of the story， the war and the treatment of the characters was the main focus for me。This novel was very well researched， well written， and had me experiencing many different emotions。 It did take a little while for the book to start flowing but do not pass it by due to the slow start。 I felt numb once I finished reading the last 9 chapters in one sitting。 This true to life heroine was stronger and more determined than I could ever be。 Kudos to her and to Alina Adams for telling her story。 I'm waiting for a production team to pick up the movie option because this one is a winner！Thanks to #NetGalley and History Through Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this ARC。 This opinion is my own。follow。 。。。more
Steve
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When it came to an overall rating， I had slightly mixed feelings about this book， bouncing between 4 and 5 stars。 In terms of portraying life in the Soviet Union and in Birobidzhan and in terms of explaining the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region， the book is fabulous。 I learned so much， which is actually one of the goals of the publisher History Through Fiction。 I found the writing quite compelling and generally excellent， except for the occasional passages that went beyond excellent。 Thes When it came to an overall rating， I had slightly mixed feelings about this book， bouncing between 4 and 5 stars。 In terms of portraying life in the Soviet Union and in Birobidzhan and in terms of explaining the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region， the book is fabulous。 I learned so much， which is actually one of the goals of the publisher History Through Fiction。 I found the writing quite compelling and generally excellent， except for the occasional passages that went beyond excellent。 These I would re-read several times。 My one problem with the book is that I did not like the inner thoughts of the protagonists， although I think it was necessary in order to show their growth。 But the historical aspect of the book was extraordinary and outweighed the negatives。 Thank you to Netgalley and History Through Fiction for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Michael Hassel Shearer
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My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams To begin with I am neither Jewish or female。 I think this book is best read by someone who is both。 And yet， I enjoyed this book。 Based upon the notes after the completion of the book， this novel falls into the category of historical fiction。 My Mother’s Secret is about the love between two people who meet in the Birobidzhan， the Jewish Autonomous Region created in the Soviet Union between Siberia and China。 I have seen pictures of this region and Ms。 Adams has My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams To begin with I am neither Jewish or female。 I think this book is best read by someone who is both。 And yet， I enjoyed this book。 Based upon the notes after the completion of the book， this novel falls into the category of historical fiction。 My Mother’s Secret is about the love between two people who meet in the Birobidzhan， the Jewish Autonomous Region created in the Soviet Union between Siberia and China。 I have seen pictures of this region and Ms。 Adams has provided links to some YouTube videos about the region。 I do not wish to spoil the story but will only say it is how these two young people were torn apart by WW II including the fight as well as the capture of the young man and how he loved her so much he forced her to go to America with a GI along with their baby。 The story ends nearly 50 years later。 If it sounds interesting， please read the book。 You might even shed a tear。 。。。more
Carolyn
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What an epic historical journey Adams takes us on with this gripping novel。 So many of us know so little about the Soviet Union in the years prior to and during WWII。 The main character， Regina ， takes us from Moscow to the first semi independent Jewish State next to China called Birobidzhan。 Idealistic Regina has gone there with ideas about socialism and Judaism and works as a slave laborer in an attempt to make the isolated， impoverished state survive。 As her hopes are destroyed and she falls What an epic historical journey Adams takes us on with this gripping novel。 So many of us know so little about the Soviet Union in the years prior to and during WWII。 The main character， Regina ， takes us from Moscow to the first semi independent Jewish State next to China called Birobidzhan。 Idealistic Regina has gone there with ideas about socialism and Judaism and works as a slave laborer in an attempt to make the isolated， impoverished state survive。 As her hopes are destroyed and she falls in love， she becomes a refugee and walks hundreds of miles of dangerous enemy territory and freezing conditions with her new baby to find her love， Aaron who has been captured by the Germans。 She ends up in a prisoner of war camp where conditions are even more dangerous。Regina has courage and fortitude beyond words。 Adams develops her character extremely well such that the reader can feel her pulse and predict her next move。The story is in 3 parts : present day in the 1980’s， WWII era， and back to the 1980’s。 This organization is very effective and gives the flashback closure。The author’s own experience as an immigrant from Russia （ now Ukraine） provides the authenticity that makes the story so powerful。 。 I highly recommend。 。。。more
Smbergin
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Alina Adams takes readers on 18 year old Regina’s journey while， in 1930， she flees Moscow certain she will be captured by the Kremlin。 She heads to Birobidzhan， the first Jewish Autonomous Region and located on the boarder of Russia and China。 Confused by the actions and betrayals of those she left behind， Regina doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe， until she decides … at great expense … to follow her heart。 My Mother’s Secret took me to places， times， conflicts and ideologies I had n Alina Adams takes readers on 18 year old Regina’s journey while， in 1930， she flees Moscow certain she will be captured by the Kremlin。 She heads to Birobidzhan， the first Jewish Autonomous Region and located on the boarder of Russia and China。 Confused by the actions and betrayals of those she left behind， Regina doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe， until she decides … at great expense … to follow her heart。 My Mother’s Secret took me to places， times， conflicts and ideologies I had not previosuly known。 I learned a lot， while admittedly got a bit lost in some of the political passages。 While usually not a fan of romantic storylines， I liked this one （although at times felt a little far-fetched）。 Three things I loved。 The author’s note; the origin story for Lena’s name; and the “It’s nice to have so many choices， but a shame none of them good，” quip （made me laugh every time！）Thank you to History Through Fiction for an ARC of My Mother’s Secret， which will be published November 15， 2022。 。。。more
Rachel - reallyslowreader
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I really enjoyed this， a lot more than I expected！ After a slowish start， by the middle of the book I was hooked！This book is basically split into three parts; the present where we are introduced to Lena and the main character Regina， her mum， starts and ends the story。 The past is split into two; following Regina’s time in Birobidzhan and then her time in a German Prisoner of War camp。I had never heard of Birobidzhan and knew little of life in the USSR at the beginning of World War II so the fi I really enjoyed this， a lot more than I expected！ After a slowish start， by the middle of the book I was hooked！This book is basically split into three parts; the present where we are introduced to Lena and the main character Regina， her mum， starts and ends the story。 The past is split into two; following Regina’s time in Birobidzhan and then her time in a German Prisoner of War camp。I had never heard of Birobidzhan and knew little of life in the USSR at the beginning of World War II so the first half of the book was a fantastic learning opportunity built into a great story， would definitely recommend if you want to know more and I will be looking at some of the resources in the authors note。I loved the MC Regina but felt frustrated with her at the same time！ Her development throughout the first half of the book is written so well， you can almost feel her questioning herself and everything she knows。 I highlighted quite a few paragraphs from this part as it gives great insight into how people may have felt at the time。 In Regina you can see the change from believing in those in positions of power， to realisation that maybe the decision makers are not always correct and how votes can be influenced。I enjoyed the romantic side to the story as well， I thought it was just enough to add a bit of lightness to it but didn’t detract from the historical side。 I would definitely recommend this book to other historical fiction fans！ I would say that at the beginning I felt a bit overwhelmed with the amount of different names and acronyms that I was unfamiliar with and it did feel a bit off putting but that eases off and I got into the story quite quickly！ 。。。more
GiGi Carothers
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I always have been a fan of historical novels， and My Mother's Secret is an excellent novel about the Holocaust。 This book shows how ordinary people place themselves in danger to help others。。 This is based on a true story。There was so much hatred during WWII but there was compassion in loads of people who wanted to help the Jewish people。 This book gives examples of kindness and courage。Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book by Alina Adams prior to its publication。 I always have been a fan of historical novels， and My Mother's Secret is an excellent novel about the Holocaust。 This book shows how ordinary people place themselves in danger to help others。。 This is based on a true story。There was so much hatred during WWII but there was compassion in loads of people who wanted to help the Jewish people。 This book gives examples of kindness and courage。Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book by Alina Adams prior to its publication。 。。。more
Libby Reidy
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I know so little of Russian history， I decided to read this book。 Set during Stalin's great terror purge， the novel follows a young woman（Regina） to Birobidzhan， the first Jewish Autonomous region。 It is a story of survival and the harsh realities to establish a Jewish homeland in Russia。 Not an easy read at times， one might have trouble with some of the storyline。 What Regina did to save her daughter and what consequences she faced will make the reader wonder if you would do the same。 I gave th I know so little of Russian history， I decided to read this book。 Set during Stalin's great terror purge， the novel follows a young woman（Regina） to Birobidzhan， the first Jewish Autonomous region。 It is a story of survival and the harsh realities to establish a Jewish homeland in Russia。 Not an easy read at times， one might have trouble with some of the storyline。 What Regina did to save her daughter and what consequences she faced will make the reader wonder if you would do the same。 I gave the book 4 stars as I did have problems with parts that I had to look up（ geography etc。） However it was a wonderful historic read that I will recommend。 。。。more
Kim Tobin
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Wartime Historical Fiction is a favourite genre of mine so I was already starting this one on the right foot， but this book definitely rose to the occasion！ I love it when a book's narrative switches between time periods and the seamless swap from past to present times was done beautifully here。 From the desperate wartime love to the present search for answers， I was wrapped up in the story from start to finish。 So much so that I found myself researching the Jewish Autonomous Region and Birobidz Wartime Historical Fiction is a favourite genre of mine so I was already starting this one on the right foot， but this book definitely rose to the occasion！ I love it when a book's narrative switches between time periods and the seamless swap from past to present times was done beautifully here。 From the desperate wartime love to the present search for answers， I was wrapped up in the story from start to finish。 So much so that I found myself researching the Jewish Autonomous Region and Birobidzhan， things that I was not overly familiar with。 It lead to an absolutely fascinating deep dive that I would not have otherwise discovered！When I continue to think of a book's characters long after I close a book， I know that it's a good one。 The stories of Lena and Regina have continued to stick with me which is an absolute credit to Alina Adams for weaving such a captivating tale！ 。。。more
Michelle Fritz PA
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This is a very slow moving story that has an intriguing premise and a peppering of historical facts。 The main character is on the run and this is her story of survival in a very frightening time in history。 It paints the picture of a young woman who desperately wants to do good but gets lost amidst the chaos of a socialist regime。 She has ideals but no real way to bring them to life。 Her perilous journey see her find love， only to lose it。 There is humor and wit within these pages。 The second ha This is a very slow moving story that has an intriguing premise and a peppering of historical facts。 The main character is on the run and this is her story of survival in a very frightening time in history。 It paints the picture of a young woman who desperately wants to do good but gets lost amidst the chaos of a socialist regime。 She has ideals but no real way to bring them to life。 Her perilous journey see her find love， only to lose it。 There is humor and wit within these pages。 The second half of the book really picks up the pace。 If you find historical fiction to be entertaining and the idea of a bygone era rife with a turbulent setting， pick this up！ The cover is gorgeous and you'll be enmeshed in conflict and conspiracies。 。。。more
Bri
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This book started out slow for the first half， and I did not have a good outlook for the second half， but I was pleasantly surprised when it picked up and the character development grew。
Richard Evans
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