Fascinating historical characters

I am a big fan of Kate Quinn so couldn't wait to read her latest novel and it didn't disappoint. Her characters come to life through her words and I found myself searching for images of Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Eleanor Roosevelt to complete my picture. It's a great story and you must read the authors notes to finish off.

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Such an amazing story!

Blown away by this book, so so good. I’ve listened to 3 others of Kate Quinn’s and this was the best (the others were all amazing too!)

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Fantastic Dramatic Read

Absolutely loved this book!
Will be listening again and can’t wait for the next release.

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fascinating read

This is a great story, well written and performed. To learn that it is based on a true story, makes it all the better. As one that likes history, it was great to hear this story of the 2nd ww from a Russian perspective. If you like a gripping story with great historical content, then I certainly recommend this book.

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Gripping, Inspiring, Passionate, extremely well read!

This is a story, so well told & well read by it’s reader that I could not only see the characters, but could feel their experiences.
A brilliant weave of historical fact with narrative fiction.
Any person, especially a young woman, could not help but be inspired by the courage of this particular sniper. And anyone taking for granted their life in peacetime will learn to think again.
I’ve lost a part of my joy in ending this book.

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True story, brilliant Narration.

I preferred Kate Quinn's other books, this one was too long and drawn out. Nevertheless Diamond Eye was a true story with some artistic licensing. It told the story of woman Soviet sniper Mila Pavlichenko, and her exploits to thwart the Nazis during WW2. It was a gripping and inspirational tale, of heroism, courage and determination. I was interested to find out more about the woman behind the sotry.

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A true story, an amazing novel, a great Kate Quinn

What an amazing story, what a lady, what a novel!

Kate Quinn brings to life a heroin of the Second World War, Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Lyudmila, from Kiev in (then) Russia, was a mother very young and wanted to get a good life for her and her son, studying history. She attended a shooting school and when the war started, she decided to join the fight and convinced her superiors to let her use her skills as a sniper. She excelled and got given the nickname "Lady Death". This earned her the recognition by the Russian officials and she embarked on a tour in the US in 1042 to advocate with the Allies for their help to Russia by opening a second front. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, a friendship that lasted a lifetime. She did not return to the front but continued to train snipers during the war.

This book is written as a memoir by Lyudmila. And indeed she did write her memoirs which the author has researched and built the novel upon. The writing is beautiful and deep, and really conveys her skill, tenacity in the fight, thoughts, feelings, grief, pain and hope in a way that makes her feel so real and close to the reader. The author's notes provide interesting insights about her life and about the choices she has made to fictionalise some parts of the story.

It was really an experience to read this book at the time of war in Ukraine. The resilience and combativity of Lyudmila, and the advocating to other nations for help, it all felt so real. One wonders what Lyudmila would have thought of our times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you to the author for bringing to life such an interesting lady.

I also thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The familiar voice of Saskia Maarleveld is so well fitted to the story and her performance is excellent.

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Stunning

Absolutely loved this, could hardly pause. Great story, great characters, great narration, fascinating period of history.

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“Combat leaflets ….. for the love of Lennon!”

She’s done it again, Kate Quinn is a genius when it comes to peeling back the layers of each character bit by bit until by the time you’ve got only a tiny bit the way in, you are completely hooked and so intertwined with the story, you can not put it down!

Past experiences with Kate’s books have taught me to read the book, few chapters holding the actual book, then listen to those chapters in audio brilliantly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld who transforms the characters to life in a way like no other reader does.

I did not want this one to end and like previous KQ / SM combination audiobooks, I will be listening again and again whilst I await another to be released.

Thankful for the experience of Mila the Russian sniper. I am inspired completely and the love, passion, closeness between her, her second husband and sniper partner who she ends up with, wow!

“My mother says I should tell the woman I love she’s beautiful, but for you, I think still dangerous means more”.

Touching, highly spirited and just a damn good absorbing read in both audio and print.

Thank you Kate!

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Gritty and intrighing

Given our current struggle with Russia it is well to be reminded of their history in the last century and that they were once an ally. I was always gripped by the story of a woman sniper and the reasons why she fought in this way. The author gets under the skin of the characters and must have done some extraordinary research..
I really enjoy this author's work and will certainly look for others by her.
The narrator is excellent too.

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