07 Jul Rachel R. Heil Leningrad: The People’s War #HistoricalFiction #WorldWarII #Leningrad #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @HeilRachelR @maryanneyarde

FEATURED AUTHOR: RACHEL R. HEIL

It is my pleasure to introduce the featured author, Rachel R. Heil, as part of The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour being held June 27th — July 8th, 2022. She is the author of the Historical Fiction / Historical Romance, Leningrad: The People’s War  (Leningrad, Book 1), which was released by the author on 5 February 2021 (326 pages)

Below are highlights of Leningrad: The People’s War,  Rachel R. Heil’s author bio, and my review of her gripping novel.

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HIGHLIGHTS — LENINGRAD: THE PEOPLE’S WAR

Leningrad: The People’s War

(Leningrad, Book 1)

By Rachel R. Heil

Blurb

Leningrad, 1941

As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government.

University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating in the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow citizens are prepared to do to each other to survive.

As his men plow through the Russian countryside, Heinrich Nottebohm is told to follow orders and ask no questions, even if such commands go against his own principles. His superiors hold over him a past event that continues to destroy him with every day that passes. But, when given the opportunity to take an act of defiance, Heinrich will jump at the chance, ignoring what the end results could be.

Leningrad: The People’s War tells the harrowing beginning of a war that forever changed the landscape of a city, told through the eyes of both sides in a tale of courage, love, and sacrifice.

Buy Links:

This novel is available on #KindleUnlimited.

Universal Link  ♠  Amazon UK   ♠   Amazon US   ♠   Amazon CA   ♠   Amazon AU

AUTHOR BIO: RACHEL R. HEIL

Rachel R. Heil is a historical fiction writer who always dreamed of being an author. After years of dreaming, she finally decided to turn this dream into a reality with her first novel, and series, Behind the Darkened Glass. Rachel is an avid history fan, primarily focused on twentieth-century history and particularly World War Two-era events. In addition to her love for history, Rachel loves following the British Royal Family and traveling the world, which only opens the door to learning more about a country’s history. Rachel resides in Wisconsin.

Social Media Links:

Twitter  ♠  Facebook  ♠  LinkedIn  ♠  Instagram  ♠  BookBub   ♠  Amazon Author Page  ♠  Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW—LENINGRAD: THE PEOPLE’S WAR

 Leningrad: The People’s War by Rachel R. Heil
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loyalties to families and to the repressive regimes of Stalin’s Russia and Hitler’s Germany are tested in the first book, Leningrad: The People’s War, of the World War II historical fiction series by Rachel R. Heil. The story is told through the eyes of a young Russian female sharpshooter, Tatiana Ivanova, and a reputed German commander, Heinrich Nottebohm. The NKVD secret police’s arrest of some of Tatiana’s family members has profoundly impacted her. To protect her remaining family from possibly being arrested, Tatiana agrees to do whatever a reporter loyal to Stalin asks her to do. The uninformed people in Leningrad are taken by surprise when the Germans invade Russia and march rapidly to Leningrad. Tatiana accompanies the state-loyal reporter to fortifications being built to defend the city so he can take photos to inspire the townspeople to fight by using persuasive propaganda. During a German attack on Leningrad, Tatiana recklessly saves a wounded woman. As a result of her bravery, she is recruited to train as a sharpshooter and wins public notoriety for her deadly ambushes on German soldiers.

As Tatiana’s story unfolds, we are introduced to a reputed German commander, Heinrich, who has a dark secret about a previous liaison with a woman. A brilliant military strategist, he questions the brutality of his superiors’ orders and secretly defies them on his march and assault on Leningrad. The perspective of the German attack on Leningrad alternates between the points of view of Tatiana and Heinrich—adding to the heart-pounding suspense about their fates when they face each other.

Author Rachel R. Heil does not spare you from the horrific scenes of war and the death toll on civilians—both from starvation and assaults. She explores the theme of duty to the state vs. loyalty to the family in the novel. Tatiana is an engaging character who defies the stereotypical role of a woman in war. She is cunning and brutal in her ambushes on Russian soldiers. She will do what is necessary to save her family from the dangers of the NKVD secret police, which are as brutal as the Germans from her perspective. Heinrich walks a tightrope to outwit his superiors and minimize the brutality he is ordered to carry out.

A page-turner, the story accelerates to a breakneck pace with unexpected twists toward the end. The story does not end in a traditional climax, but it continues into the next book. I’m eager to read the series to find out the fates of the characters in what was considered the most devastating battle in World II. For the most part, the narrative is well-edited and tight, but there is a noticeable punctuation error in using commas instead of em dashes outside the quotation marks to set off a bit of action without a dialogue tag. Nonetheless, the storytelling is riveting and kept me on the edge of my seat as I continued reading the book late at night.

I highly recommend Leningrad: The People’s War to readers who enjoy reading character-driven, fast-paced historical fiction that will leave you breathless from its unexpected twists and suspense.

View all my reviews

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