Description
“My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region” was inspired by all the readers telling me how much they enjoyed the first section of “The Nesting Dolls,” which dealt with the USSR in the 1930s. “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region” shines a light on a little known aspect of Soviet history, namely that the first Jewish state of the 20th century was actually established on the border of Russia and China!
But it’s not all a history lesson! We’ve got romance, friendship, betrayal, mother-daughter relationships, heroism, self-sacrifice, and heartbreak, too!
Don’t take my word for it. Check out some of these early reviews:
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“I found this novel to be gripping and suspenseful. I liked the author’s writing style.”
“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.”
“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.”
“It took you into the problems of living under an autocratic despotic regime, yet cultivated a powerful love story where the protagonists demonstrated bravery, determination and self sacrifice above the call of duty. It deserves to be read.”
Want to learn more about the story behind the story of “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region?” I love to speak at book clubs! Please reach out to me to schedule yours!
