Sometimes the road to freedom is a six-thousand-mile-long railroad track. Sometimes the road to love is even longer.
Czech soldier Filip Sedlák never wanted to fight for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So at the first opportunity, he defected to the Russians. Now he and others like him have formed the Czechoslovak Legion. Their goal: leave the chaos of Russia, sail to France, and help the Allies defeat the Central Powers, thereby toppling a hated empire and winning an independent Czechoslovakia.
With the fall of the tsar, Nadia Linskaya’s life is in ruins. Her family is dead, her lands are confiscated, and her aristocratic world is gone forever. But Nadia is determined to elude the Bolshevik agent who destroyed her family and find a way to survive in this changed world.
When Nadia takes refuge with the Czechoslovak Legion, the last thing she expects is an ally. But when Filip proposes a sham marriage to ensure her safe passage across Siberia, she takes it. Neither Filip nor Nadia expect real love, not when the legion has to take over the longest railroad in the world—and then hold it against Bolshevik counterattacks, partisan sabotage, Allied intrigue, and a set of brutal Siberian winters. At risk is the future of Czechoslovakia, the fate of Russia—and their hearts.
I have never considered the Czech and Slovakian soldiers that fought during the Russian Revolution, nor have I considered the fate of the Noble class outside of the Romanovs. This story brought both of these groups to my knowledge. A.L. Sowards does a magical job of weaving this tale of survival and love. This is a story of brotherhood and fighting for the one thing that matters so much, home and country, This is a group that didn't have a country that was promised one if they fought. They were well trained and used like pawns. Seeing this group of men from the inside brought to home the horrors of the wars of the past and present. It gave me a unique perspective of the battles that are waged and fought by the people who do not want them. A.L. Sowards has a way of bringing the history and the people to life. The love story goes beyond romance. With a marriage of convenience, the story is one of love of country, learning to love each other, and knowing what you would be willing to die for. This story is touching and emotional on so many levels. I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review.
A. L. Sowards is the author of multiple historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourteenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned multiple awards and nominations, including a Whitney Award and a Readers’ Favorite gold medal. Sowards grew up in Washington State, spent a few decades in Utah, and now resides in Alaska with her husband, three children, and ever-growing library. She enjoys hiking and swimming, usually manages to keep up with the laundry, and loves it when someone else cooks dinner.
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