A Russian female sniper during WWII who has more kills under her belt than most of the men in her own army. She’s also good friends with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Oh and this is all a true story.
The Diamond Eye takes place in 1937 Kiev (now known as Kyiv). Wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son—but Hitler’s invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper—a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour. Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC—until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. Based on a true story, 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. [Summary shortened from Amazon]
Our Historical Fiction expert, Abby Williams, is here to talk about all things bada** women war heroes.
In this episode we cover:
Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you running through the snow barefoot with antique pistols in your pocket.
Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:
Wine Pairings: Prisoner
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