Just got back from an amazing trip in our camper van to Utah, also spending time in Arizona, New Mexico and several other states along the way. Did lots of reading, but not so much posting. Now I’m going to be playing catch-up for a few weeks!
Listening to books is a great way get through a road trip. This book was easy to listen to on audio with lots of authentic accents and animated narration. I’m sure the print version would be good too. The story of a Ukrainian woman sniper called Lady Death is one I never knew about, and the author makes this historical fiction come alive. Some reviewers commented that it could have been shorter and I agree with that, but even so, I loved it.
Kate Quinn has done extensive research into this time period and has written many other novels based on true stories from the second World War. A favourite of mine is The Rose Code, but her books The Alice Network and The Huntress were also really good.
The Diamond Eye is the story of how a quiet bookworm mother becomes a soldier and a deadly sniper in WW 2. Based on a true story in 1937, in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organises 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 transform herself from a studious girl to a deadly sniper. The story then shifts to Washington D.C. where Mila finds herself at the center of American media attention on a public speaking tour. There she meets Eleanor Roosevelt and as an unlikely friendship develops, a dangerous situation unfolds, and Mila’s skills will be tested like never before.
Joanne's Reading Blog 
I enjoyed this book, too, and as for you, The Rose Code is a favorite. I am looking forward to her latest, Homecoming.
Homecoming was written by Kate Morton, not Kate Quinn.☺
Of course!!!!! Duh!
Thanks for your comments and it’s fun to see people connecting while thinking about titles and author names. It gets confusing!
Hi Trudy, Yes I felt the same way about Mila. She was certainly an unlikely heroine and I loved how Quinn developed her character through it all. Nice catch on the author correction! 🙂
I too thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was fascinating and it was satisfying to learn about such an unlikely heroine. Highly recommend this book.