This is an angsty romance between a British female artist and a Russian male artist during the Cold War, when infatuation becomes love, and love can be broken when trust and confidence is betrayed. A Cold War romance, slender, petite artist and painter Laddy was seventeen years old when she left England and went to Russia with her cousin Michael to explore the art exhibitions. There she met and fell deeply in lust/infatuation with a twenty-year old Russian writer, Mischa, who is outspoken in his protests against the Soviet Union's laws and worldview. He is arrested and taken to jail, and a shocked and grieving Laddy returns to England.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
Mischa spends around 8 years in the harsh camps of the USSR and when he is finally released, he makes it clear he intends to write a book about his life experiences. Mischa moves to London to heal from the memories of Soviet camps and to write his book in peace. And at the back of his mind, find Laddy again. Now a journalist, Laddy rushes at the chance to write a story on Mischa, at the same time wondering if he remembers their infatuation. She wants to give back some items that belong to Mischa, manuscripts that her father intended to publish, and see him before she marries the man she now loves, John. However, Mischa does not appear to recognize her, and disappears to Wales with a fellow dissident Russian writer in exile named Irina, without giving an interview to any reporter in London. Laddy is determined to get her interview however, and knowing that nobody else knows who Irina is, takes her chance and follows Mischa to Wales. He recognizes her this time, and the attraction and passion is still there after almost a decade apart.
They begin sleeping together and while Laddy feels lust towards him, Mischa has to woo her and make her fall in love again. When John finds out, however, he is hurt and furious (rightfully so!) and comes to Wales in rage. He confronts Mischa in the guest cottage where he is visiting Laddy and tells Mischa that Laddy's father had considered publishing Mischa's manuscripts under his own name (passing them off as his own work) before he died, and that Laddy had not made much effort to try and stop him. As proof, he shows Laddy's letters, which he took from her father's study. Laddy begs Mischa not to believe him, but the evidence is too damning. Deeply shocked and hurt, Mischa cannot trust Laddy anymore, and leaves her in bitterness. He returns to Russia, and John breaks the engagement with Laddy. Having lost everything, Laddy quits her job and moves to California, hoping for a fresh start and mourning the loss of Mischa for a second time. And here the book ends, and it will be in a sequel that we'll find out whether they got together again.
Best part of story, including ending:
I loved that it didn't wrap up neatly with a bow.
Best scene in story:
Laddy and Mischa exploring ancient Celtic villages in Wales and learning about the lore and history - very interesting stuff.
Opinion about the main character:
I enjoyed the unusual hero: a revolutionary and disgruntled member of the bourgeoisie who is discontented with Soviet Russia.
