  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2016 *Starred Review* Sedgwick’s at it again with another novel pushing YA boundaries. Opening with a dreamy account of Tsar Nicholas II’s rise and fall, Sedgwick’s novel links fairy tales to Russian history, likening the growing populist movement to a rampaging bear hungry after months of cold and starvation. It’s in this hair-trigger environment that Arthur Ransome, real-life author of classic children’s literature and British correspondent in Russia, finds himself, and after befriending both Bolsheviks and British nationals during his career as a journalist, his political allegiances are dangerously muddy. Aided by historical records and journals, Sedgwick tells Ransome’s story of traversing Europe at a dangerous moment in history and carefully navigating tense diplomatic relations, complete with walking across no-man’s-land in order to reunite with his Russian wife. While at first glance this might not seem to have much teen appeal—there are no teen characters—the spy-novel-like narrative and fictionalized account of a key historical moment will thrillingly bring WWI and Russian history to life for readers bored by the usual textbook accounts of the period. Sedgwick’s artful fairy tales and Ransome’s unique perspective dovetail into a compelling narrative offering both a glimpse into the life of a writer and a nuanced take on the Russian Revolution. Pair with Candace Fleming’s The Family Romanov (2014) to enrich the context even further. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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