The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

She’s the war’s most lethal sniper. And the one they least expect…

In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko’s life revolves around her young son – until Hitler’s invasion of Russia changes everything. Suddenly, she and her friends must take up arms to save their country from the Fuhrer’s destruction.

Handed a rifle, Mila discovers a gift – and months of blood, sweat and tears turn the young woman into a deadly sniper: the most lethal hunter of Nazis.

Yet success is bittersweet. Mila is torn from the battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America while the war still rages. There, she finds an unexpected ally in First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and an unexpected promise of a different future.

But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a terrifying new foe, she finds herself in the deadliest duel of her life.

The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.

Review

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is the author’s fictional retelling of the life of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a Soviet war heroine during WW2 who turned from academia to become a sniper when the Nazi regime turned it’s murderous rage against the people of the Soviet Union. Born in Ukraine, this city girl and booklover left her dreams and family behind to defend her country.

What I enjoyed about this book was how history is entwined so much into the narrative. The real life of Mila Pavlichenko is reimagined and brought to life with great skill, in a story full of tension, characters brimming with emotion and all woven into one of the biggest historical events of our time.

It is rich in historical detail, but avoids the pitfall of allowing that to overwhelm the aim of the novel, to tell the story of a women whose life was lost to all but a few, the author bringing her life out of the shadows of history and into the light! She breaths life into her, by imagining the life of a women of whom we know only the barest of historical details. She takes us from her life before the war and through to her friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and creates a very enjoyable story that is bother thriller and historical drama. She also gives us a very believable series of love stories, without ever bringing Mila out of character, it is never gets mushy, it all feels real and reflects the urgency brought about by a mess of emotions during wartime.

Kate Quinn writes Mila very well, capturing not jus her strength of character, but her vulnerability as well. We all think of Russian people are hard and passionate, warlike, especially in light of current events, but the writer brings out Mila’s love of culture, her pride and her loyalty to both her country and most importantly, something we can all identify with, her family. I found that I loved her sense of honor, the way the writer brings across that she is fighting out of necessity, not because she revels in the cruelty of killing. It gives the character great depth, allows us a glimpse into the humanity behind the historical figure.

It is above all a rollicking good story. A compulsive read that takes the reader from war torn Europe to the political shenanigans of America’s capital. It takes Lyudmila Pavlichenko out of the past and reveals her to be both unforgettable and always rich and vibrant.

About the author

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” and “The Diamond Eye.” All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with three rescue dogs.

You can buy The Diamond Eye By Kate Quinn from Amazon and Waterstones.

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network”, “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” and “The Diamond Eye.” All have been translated into multiple languages. Kate and her husband now live in San Diego with three rescue dogs.