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Chimes of a Lost Cathedral

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( 1,156 ratings, 159 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Chimes of a Lost Cathedral, young poet Marina Makarova navigates the harsh realities of the Russian Civil War. Pregnant and alone, she must rely on her own resilience to survive the upheaval in Petrograd. The once-vibrant city has become a desolate place, overrun with starving children. Drawn to their suffering, Marina takes on the care of these orphans, but this responsibility leads to unforeseen tragedy. Through betrayal, hardship, and deep loss, Marina grows into a woman and poet of profound strength and sensitivity amid the turmoil of revolution.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel is ideal for readers who appreciate historical fiction rich in emotional depth and vivid depiction of early 20th-century Russia. Fans of Russian literature and those interested in female-led narratives of resilience and artistry will find this a compelling and rewarding read.

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"Brilliant...a world of furious beauty, sprawling, majestic landscapes, and erotically charged and traumatic encounters, with life and love hanging in the balance"-- Los Angeles Review of Books

The epic journey continues... A young Russian woman comes into her own in the midst of revolution and civil war.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

After the loves and betrayals of The Revolution of Marina M., young poet Marina Makarova finds herself alone amid the devastation of the Russian Civil War—pregnant and adrift, forced to rely on her own resourcefulness to find a place to wait out the birth of her child and eventually make her way back to her native city, Petrograd.

After two years of revolution, the city that was once St. Petersburg is almost unrecognisable, the haunted, half-emptied, starving Capital of Once Had Been, its streets teeming with homeless children. Moved by their plight, though hardly better off herself, she takes on the challenge of caring for these orphans, until they become the tool of tragedy from an unexpected direction.

Shaped by her country's ordeals and her own trials—betrayal and privation and inconceivable loss—Marina evolves as a poet and a woman of sensibility and substance hardly imaginable at the beginning of her transformative odyssey.

Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is the culmination of one woman's journey through some of the most dramatic events of the last century—the epic story of an artist who discovers her full power, passion, and creativity just as her revolution reveals its true direction for the future.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "a treat for fans of Russian literature" by Kirkus Reviews, Chimes of a Lost Cathedral is acclaimed for its passionate re-creation of Bolshevik Revolution's tragedy and literary culture. The Los Angeles Review of Books lauds it as "brilliant", noting its rich, emotionally charged narrative filled with majestic landscapes and intense encounters. Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times describes it as a dream for anyone drawn to historic figures, while Ani Kokobobo highlights Marina's bravery as a source of inspiration for readers.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780316510080

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 September 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Back Bay Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 620g

Pages: 752

About the Author

Janet Fitch's first novel, White Oleander, a #1 bestseller and Oprah's Book Club selection, has been translated into twenty-eight languages and was made into a feature film. Her second novel, Paint It Black, hit bestseller lists across the country and has also been made into a film. Her third novel, The Revolution of Marina M., begins an epic journey through the Russian Revolution, which concludes with Chimes of a Lost Cathedral. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles.

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