A must read

Extraordinary. . . it would be hard to find a book that feels more important or original. . . Alexievich’s strength – and a mark of her own courage – is that she is forever on the lookout for the seemingly inconsequential, almost trivial human moments. . . Her achievement is as breathtaking as the experiences of these women are awe-inspiring

A revelation. . . Alexievich’s text gives us precious details of the kind that breathe life into history . . . This is a book about emotions as much as it is about facts. It is not a historical document in the accepted sense. . . and yet ultimately, which historical documents are more important than this?

A profoundly humbling, devastating book, it should be compulsory reading for anyone wishing to understand the experience of the war and its haunting legacy in the former Soviet Union

These stories about the women warriors of Mother Russia are a symphony of feminine suffering and strength. . . Read this book. And then read it again

Astonishing. . . Her years of meticulous listening, her unobtrusiveness and her ear for the telling detail and the memorable story have made her an exceptional witness to modern times. . . This is oral history at its finest and it is also an essay on the power of memory, on what is remembered and what is forgotten

One of the most heart-breaking books I have ever read. . . I urge you to read it

The least well-known wonderful writer I’ve ever come across

As with her other books, terrifying documentation meets great artfulness of construction

Groundbreaking. . . a mosaic of Russian women’s stories – from the home front to the front lines, from foot soldiers to cryptographers to antiaircraft commanders