The Diamond Eye: A Novel
Don’t miss the thrilling new novel from Kate Quinn, The Briar Club!
New York Times Bestseller
The bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable work of WWII historical fiction about a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.
In 1937 in the snowbound city of 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 in this gripping historical thriller. 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.
But when an old enemy from Mila’s past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.
Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting piece of biographical fiction about 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.
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Readers say *The Diamond Eye* is a compelling WWII novel about Lady Death, an inspiring female sniper praised for its vivid history and strong lead. R...
The book had a slow start for me, but the pacing improved as the story progressed, and I ended up genuinely enjoying it. One fun moment: when Mila mentioned that Krostia was speaking English, I actually had to re-read the passage—it hadn't occurred to me that the characters weren't speaking English in the story itself, since I was reading it in English! It was a little "aha" moment realizing they were actually speaking Russian.
I enjoied the author's note at the end. It was fascinating to learn about the author's research process into Mila's life and her experience as a female sniper. Mila served on the front lines at a time when that was virtually unheard of in the US—and even today it's still rare. Despite proving herself repeatedly, she was consistently underestimated, marginalized, and not taken seriously by those around her. It was heartwarming to learn that she eventually found love in real life, mirroring her journey in the book. I also appreciated the author's note about the ambiguity in Mila's memoir regarding who she fell for—it's unclear whether it was one person or two, and it seems there are several reasons we may never know the full answer. Still, I loved how the author thoughtfully interpreted and crafted that love story for us.
A welll written story based (mostly) on facts about a female Russian (Ukrainian) sniper in WW II.
It was not so surprising at there were females at the front in the Russian army, but that was a Russian student delegation to the US in 1942 to promote support for US help in the war against Germany. And the story of how one of them, the female sniper, befriended the First Lady. As I read the book I that that was fiction until I read the author's notes and the true (mostly) story of the sniper, whose memoirs can be read in English.
It was not so surprising at there were females at the front in the Russian army, but that was a Russian student delegation to the US in 1942 to promote support for US help in the war against Germany. And the story of how one of them, the female sniper, befriended the First Lady. As I read the book I that that was fiction until I read the author's notes and the true (mostly) story of the sniper, whose memoirs can be read in English.
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