MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD PB

Debra Dean had a wonderful idea for a novel, but the novel itself never lived up to my expectations for it. The setting, a museum in Leningrad during wartime, was new to me, and all the details - the food rationing, the artwork, the human misery during that time - were fascinating. Sadly though, the characters never felt as three-dimensional as the setting; the paintings felt more well rounded than the people walking among them. A beautiful title, a beautiful cover, and a beautiful idea for a novel—surely with just a little more editing, a little more work on the part of the author, an exceptional novel would have been published, rather than just this rather run-of-the-mill book.

The book had some interesting information in case the reader isn't familiar with the siege of Leningrad but it wasn't a book that I found completely compelling. I see some complaints about how the book perspective and the time shifts with little warning and it is hard to keep track. I found that to be the case as well but I am wondering if that was purposeful on the author's part as to make the reader feel as disconcerted and confused as Marina does with her dementia. Judging by the book description, that's probably not the case but that was my takeaway from the style of writing. If half stars were possible, I would rate it a 3.5.