Only 144 pages but they are devastating. I cannot praise this stark, powerful, stunning debut tale enough. It is set in Leningrad in 1941 when the Germans surrounded the city cutting off all supplies. The siege lasted three years killing hundreds of thousands of people. We follow a group of scientists at the Institute of Plant Industry who have pledged to protect their collection of rare seeds and I’ll tell you no more than that. You have to read this.
Reviewed by Sarah Broadhurst Sarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from… More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst
About Hunger
Scouring the world's most remote fields and valleys, a dedicated Soviet scientist has spent his life collecting rare plants for his country's premiere botanical institute in Leningrad. From Northern Africa to Afghanistan, from South America to Abyssinia, he has sought and saved seeds that could be traced back to the most ancient civilizations. And the adventure has set deep in him. Even at home with the wife he loves, the memories of his travels return him to the beautiful women and strange foods he has known in exotic regions.When German troops surround Leningrad in the fall of 1941, he becomes a captive in the siege. As food supplies dwindle, residents eat the bark of trees, barter all they own for flour, and trade sex for food. In the darkest winter hours of the siege, the institute's scientists make a pact to leave untouched the precious storehouse of seeds that they believe is the country's future. But such a promise becomes difficult to keep when hunger is grows undeniable.Based on true events from World War II, Hunger is a private story about a man wrestling with his own morality. This beautiful debut novel ask us what is the meaning of integrity
Scouring the world's most remote fields and valleys, a dedicated Soviet scientist has spent his life collecting rare plants for his country's premiere botanical institute in Leningrad. From Northern Africa to Afghanistan, from South America to Abyssinia, he has sought and saved seeds that could be traced back to the most ancient civilizations. And the adventure has set deep in him. Even at home with the wife he loves, the memories of his travels return him to the beautiful women and strange foods he has known in exotic regions.
When German troops surround Leningrad in the fall of 1941, he becomes a captive in the siege. As food supplies dwindle, residents eat the bark of trees, barter all they own for flour, and trade sex for food. In the darkest winter hours of the siege, the institute's scientists make a pact to leave untouched the precious storehouse of seeds that they believe is the country's future. But such a promise becomes difficult to keep when hunger is grows undeniable.
Based on true events from World War II, Hunger is a private story about a man wrestling with his own morality. This beautiful debut novel ask us what is the meaning of integrity
Scouring the world's most remote fields and valleys, a dedicated Soviet scientist has spent his life collecting rare plants for his country's premiere botanical institute in Leningrad. From Northern Africa to Afghanistan, from South America to Abyssinia, he has sought and saved seeds that could be traced back to the most ancient civilizations.
Hunger features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, General Fiction, Fiction
Paperback, Ebook. Not Available.
Hunger was written by Elise Blackwell and published by Unbridled Books
Hunger has 146 pages
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