I'm not sure how to feel about this book. At times it was riveting and other times soooo slow and plodding. The story is certainly interesting and one my favorite time and places in history (WW1, Russian Revolution). I heard someone describe it as the female Dr. Zhivago, and I'd definitely agree with that. The story drops off at the end desperately making the reader want more, and I guess that's why it reads "End of Book 1". A good book, but not as good as other Janet Fitch classics like White Oleander or Paint It Black.
This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

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