From Linda Lee Greene, Author & Artist
ORDER No. 227 FROM STALIN WITH LOVE by multi-award winning
author Marina Osipova, is 51 pages of historical fiction based on true events
as experienced by her grandfather during the Great Patriotic War, which is the
term used for World War II in Russia. While
the European Theater of World War II is one
of my favorite literary genres about which to read and write, my interest in the
Soviet Union’s involvement in the war has only been a glancing one. Osipova’s
work brims with intimate views of the Eastern Front of the war in a way that
stirs the reader’s desire to learn more about it. The “golds” and
“silvers” and “bests” in historical fiction Osipova has won don’t take just a
minute to digest. Readers will need to set aside some real time to devote to the experience. Her work reaches out across
the world and touches us, and for that time, she lends herself to us, and she stays
with us until we see what she sees, the way she sees it, and why. And when we
do, we are the better for it.
By
the time of its disbandment, Order No. 227 had collected 427,910 Soviet prisoners
in penal military units. They were commanded to fight at any cost in defending
their motherland against Nazi Germany. Eighty percent of the Soviet prisoners
did not survive the battles. In the main, ORDER No. 227 FROM STALIN WITH LOVE
is a fictional account of thirteen of those men.
At the end of her short volume, Osipova
explains to the reader that time was of the essence in archiving the story. Her
motivation was to write it for her mother before it was too late to do so. It was
released only a few months before the world shut down because of the
coronavirus pandemic. I don’t know if Osipova was able to venture from her home
in Austria to Moscow to place the book in her mother’s hands before the travel
ban was enacted. I hope so; and if not back then, then sometime soon.©
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Order-No-227-Stalin-Marina-Osipova-ebook/dp/B07V5K8DH4
#MarinaOsipova, #OrderNo.227, #Austria, #Russia, #SovietUnion, #ThePatrioticWar, #WorldWarII, #Stalin, #EasternFront. #Russo-German
Thank you, Linda Lee, for featuring my book. It occupies a special place in my heart, and you've told why it is so. And yes, I had that lucky chance to place the book into my mother's hands. She was deeply touched and thankful. Seeing her tears was the best present I've ever received for my book.
ReplyDeleteI am a great fan of Marina Osipova's writing. Thank you for this lovely post.
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure to acknowledge Marina Osipova and her wonderful work. Thanks so much for adding your sentiments, Pamela.
DeleteMarina is wonderful. Not only as a writer but a lovely woman too. Thank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteCrediting Marina Osipova and her work was a pleasure. I appreciate your adding your voice to my post, Kathryn.
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