My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region by Alina Adams

My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region Reviews

• 
  Fran

  "Mama rarely wanted Lena to know anything...never inquired how she was feeling or what she was thinking...Mama didn't care enough to bother." "Mom had promised...Lena never knew until now." Going through Dad's dental office records after his death, Lena unearthed three files of letters, newspaper clippings and "the fates of Soviet WWII veterans in general, one veteran in particular." For 4o years, Lena's father had been trying to ascertain the whereabouts of Aaron Kramer."
  
  Eighteen year old Regina "trusted the wrong people listened to the wrong voices...she needed to sneak out like a thief" to avoid becoming a victim of Stalin's Purge. Hurriedly, she purchased a train ticket to leave Moscow, failing to acquire resettlement authorization. If only she could make it to Birobidzhan. In 1930, Josef Stalin had created the Jewish Autonomous Oblast (district) in the former Soviet Far East between the USSR and Manchuria. Posters had abounded with the promise of fertile land. Birobidzhan was touted as a pioneering community, an independent, thriving Jewish socialist state, where Yiddish was taught in school...". Jews were being convinced "to relocate to the furthest eastern point on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, where they would be safe, out of the way..". Immerging from an eight-day railroad journey from Moscow, Regina stepped ankle deep into a swampy, unplowed field.
  
  Having lived in a communal apartment in 1930s Moscow, "you could believe someone was your compatriot-your friend-for years. Then, in the space of a single knock on the door, everything could fall apart." Who could Regina trust? It was no different in Birobidzhan. The head of the Village Soviet claimed equal distribution, however, farming tools, seed and cattle promised by Moscow were not forthcoming. If production quotas were met, why were workers covered in festering bug bites, wearing shredded clothing and living a substandard existence? Aaron Kramer, whose sector had the most productive yield, dared to suggest crop rotation and the need for additional workers. By unanimous vote, the idea was struck down by Felix, the Commandant of the Village Soviet. Regina found herself between a rock and a hard place. "...agreeing with Felix would protect her. Agreeing with Aaron would expose her. "
  
  After a silent lack of compliance with Felix's principles, Aaron Kramer was shipped to the Eastern Front to fight against the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Regina followed, walking hundreds of miles through enemy territory with her newborn, Lena, cradled in a sling. She arrived at the German POW camp where Aaron was imprisoned. Claiming she was a widowed Polish citizen with a newborn, she insisted that her nursing skills were needed at the camp. Regina, with nerves of steel and a poker face. Aaron was enraged. Why did she follow him and endanger her safety and the well being of the baby?
  
  "My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region" by Alina Adams is a historical fiction read of the 2oth Century's first Jewish Autonomous Region, a lesser known area of Jewish settlement. Author Adams adeptly presents a novel of love, resilience and amazing determination against the backdrop of Soviet-German wartime encounters as well as the unsettling treatment of Soviet POWs by the Germans and the Soviet Government itself after the war. Highly recommended.
  
  Thank you History Through Fiction and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Marilyn

  My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams was an engrossing and compelling historical fiction novel. Alina Adams used her personal knowledge of having grown up Jewish in the Soviet Union, having had immigrated to the United States and her extensive masterful research to write about the Soviet Union in the years prior to, during and after World War II. The thing that I love about reading historical fiction most is learning about things that I had not previously known about. Alina Adams accomplished that for me in her latest book, My Mother’s Secret. She introduced me to the existence of Birobidzhan, the first Jewish Autonomous region that was created on May 7, 1934 by Russia. Its location was situated on the border that Russia shared with China. Birobidzhan was created for the purpose of giving Jews from all over the world a place to live a peaceful life that was “socialist in content and national in form”. The Soviet government lured Jews to Birobidzhan through pamphlets that contained enough propaganda to make Birobidzhan seem way more desirable than it actually was. It was located not too far from the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its inhabitants practiced collective farming but the harsh weather conditions made both farming and life very difficult there. Although the government wanted to portray Birobidzhan as a socialist utopia, it was far from actually being that. Alina Adams also portrayed what it was like to live in the Soviet Union under Stalin’s Terror reign during the 1930’s. She also exposed how Soviet POW prisoners were treated in the camps the Nazis established. My Mother’s Secret was well plotted and offered much insight into a side of World War II and Russian history that I was not aware of. Her extensive research was impeccable.
  
  My Mother’s Secret was about Regina Solomonova’s journey. It was about a journey that ultimately led her to be able to unburden her secrets and reveal them to her daughter. These were secrets that she had kept hidden for so long but it was finally time to share them with her daughter. Regina and Lena had just returned from the hospital where Tommy, Lena’s father and Regina’s husband had just died. Lena and her husband drove Regina home. Lena chose to stay with her mother instead of going to her own home. She did not feel comfortable leaving her mother alone at a time like this. Lena and her mother never had a close or warm relationship but Lena felt compelled to be with her mother at this pivotal time in both of their lives. Both of them started to go through Tommy’s things to keep busy and keep their minds off his passing. Lena went down to her father’s dental office so she could begin to shred old bills and patient information when she found correspondence her father had written. These inquiring letters, that Lena discovered were written to members of Congress and diplomats, spanned over the past forty years. They all inquired about a Soviet vet named Aaron Kramer. Lena could not imagine who this man was and why her father had spent over forty years trying to gather information about him and his whereabouts. When Regina suddenly appeared at the door of Tommy’s office, Lena asked her mother who Aaron Kramer was and if she knew why her father had been searching for him for the last forty years? For the first time in Lena’s life, her mother started to recount her life for her daughter and share the secrets she had harbored for so long. Regina started telling her daughter about her life, things she had not spoken about to Lena ever before. Once Regina began she could not stop. Regina shared everything about her life with her daughter. She began in Moscow, told her why and how she began living in Birobidzhan, explained how she ended up working in a Nazi POW camp and finally how she met Tommy, married him and came to live in America. Lena listened intently. She finally got to see a side of her mother she never knew existed. How would this admission change their relationship? Would Lena find out who Aaron Kramer was and why her father spent over forty years searching for him?
  
  
  I really enjoyed reading My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams. As I previously stated, I learned so much about Russian life under Stalin and different aspects about World War II that I had not known about. My Mother’s Secret involved a mystery, several meaningful friendships and a love story. It dealt with loss, acceptance, courage, faithfulness, identity, determination, willingness to sacrifice and love. I think the cover is amazing! Overall, I really enjoyed reading My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams and highly recommend it.
  
  Thank you to History Through Fiction LLC for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC of My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected on November 15, 2022.
• 
  Jannelies (slowly getting there)

  About the author: New York Times best-selling author, soap opera insider, and pioneer in online storytelling, Alina Adams, was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to the U.S. at age seven, where she learned English by watching American soap operas at their home in San Francisco. Alina's childhood and immigration experience was the inspiration for her two latest historical fiction novels, "The Nesting Dolls" (2020), and "My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region" (2022).
  So here I am, with no knowledge of this author or her books, and reading the name Birobidzhan for the first time. I must admit I have somewhat of an interest in the history of Russia because of the many famous composers, painters and authors, but I always tried to stay clear of delving too deep in the political history of this country. I’ve learned a lot from this book, both about Jewish and Russian history, and about unexpected resilience.
  Regina Solomonova is only 18 when she has to flee her home in Moscow and ends up in Birobidzhan, a place she wanted to go to from the moment she heard of it. After all, what’s there for her in Moscow, living with her parents in one small room of what was once their home? The rest of the property is filled with strangers because that’s what happened in the Sovjet Union in the 1930’s. You were not supposed to have more than other people and now the thought of how the family once had need of a live-in maid and a ‘ linen room’ (why would you own more than one set?) is absurd.
  Reading about Regina’s journey to Birobidzhan alone gave me chills, and not only because she was travelling in very cold weather. Only the thought that she would be safe there, far from prying eyes and among likeminded people, kept her going. After all, when you’re young and strong and filled with the best intentions to make something of your life so you can help others, what can go wrong? Well, a lot of things went wrong with the idea’s of Stalin and the like, and Regina can see it, but she cannot believe it. All her young life it was drilled into her that if you follow the rules, and be obedient, you will have a happy and fulfilling life.
  So Regina sets to work – she has to help harvest barley in the freezing cold of autumn. There are no tools; she and all the other workers have to use their hands. When she questions this, the answer is that Birobidzhan was equipped with all the tools they would need. Only they are not there. And this is only the first thing Regina has to wrap her mind around. The way she has to live – no decent food, no decent clothing, nothing to do but work, work, work and be careful with what you think and say. Because fleeing Moscow didn’t make life any safer as she hoped. On the contrary; almost everything Regina thinks, says and does could lead to severe punishment.
  A large part of the book is filled with quotes from Stalin, and it still boggles the mind why people would believe all that – especially people who can actually see that it’s not working. Regina is often between a rock and a hard place, because the only person she feels attracted to in the camp is Aaron Kramer, a young man with (sometimes dangerous) ideas, and Felix, the commander of the camp. The parts where all inhabitants have to meet weekly to offer ideas (they don’t have the courage) or criticise themselves and others (they are very much afraid of the repercussions) belong to he best parts in the book because they are very, very tense.
  As said in the numerous reviews before this one, Regina follows Aaron to the front and then to the POW camps where he’s being held by the Nazis. This too, is a very intense part of the story.
  The books ends on a happy note, at the end of the 1980’s. Despite that I felt sad after reading it because we all know what happened in later years, and in fact is still happening. I’m very happy I got to read this book and I cannot recommend it enough.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.
• 
  Jannelies (slowly getting there)

  Review to follow.
• 
  Rachel - reallyslowreader

  I really enjoyed this, a lot more than I expected! After a slowish start, by the middle of the book I was hooked!
  
  This book is basically split into three parts; the present where we are introduced to Lena and the main character Regina, her mum, starts and ends the story. The past is split into two; following Regina’s time in Birobidzhan and then her time in a German Prisoner of War camp.
  
  I had never heard of Birobidzhan and knew little of life in the USSR at the beginning of World War II so the first half of the book was a fantastic learning opportunity built into a great story, would definitely recommend if you want to know more and I will be looking at some of the resources in the authors note.
  
  I loved the MC Regina but felt frustrated with her at the same time! Her development throughout the first half of the book is written so well, you can almost feel her questioning herself and everything she knows. I highlighted quite a few paragraphs from this part as it gives great insight into how people may have felt at the time. In Regina you can see the change from believing in those in positions of power, to realisation that maybe the decision makers are not always correct and how votes can be influenced.
  
  I enjoyed the romantic side to the story as well, I thought it was just enough to add a bit of lightness to it but didn’t detract from the historical side.
  
  I would definitely recommend this book to other historical fiction fans! I would say that at the beginning I felt a bit overwhelmed with the amount of different names and acronyms that I was unfamiliar with and it did feel a bit off putting but that eases off and I got into the story quite quickly!
• 
  theliterateleprechaun

  First of all, wow. Just wow. I’d never heard of Birobidzhan before. How is this possible? Author Alina Adams explores the depths one will go to save a loved one and manages to provide a history lesson for those of us who know little about this region.
  
  In this fascinating family saga, Adams informs readers of the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region on the border of Russia and China and invites her readers to follow 18-year-old Regina on her journey from Moscow to the Jewish homeland in Russia. Along the way, readers gain a greater understanding of Josef Stalin’s Great Terror purges and help Regina make sense of her father’s dying words..
  
  Secondly, the character growth is amazing. It was a slow-building friendship, but I finally appreciated Regina and all she faced. For me, it’s important to see a character question themselves, their religious beliefs, and, in this case, socialism and those in power, in their progression. It must have been such a heartbreaking realization to discover that, after years of unquestioning acceptance, those you thought were keeping your best interests at heart…weren’t. Never were.
  
  I felt like I was back in university, Googling every unfamiliar term and trying to get a sense of what was happening in Russia at the time. I wonder if other readers, whose curiosity wouldn’t let them read further until they understood, felt like it interrupted the flow. This was a ‘meaty’ book with lots to digest and it definitely deserves a re-read to understand it better. I felt like I was treading water in the deep end. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing. I love books that show me a piece of history I didn’t know about and force me to look into it further.
  
  At times a bit unbelievable, the romance was a timely break from Soviet politics.
  
  I was in awe at the determination and sacrifice Regina displayed in her quest to find herself, find answers, and find courage on her way to safety.
  
  If you are curious about the 20th century’s first Jewish state or have read The Nesting Dolls, this is a great novel to add to your reading list.
  
  Congratulations on a great cover, Christine Horner! One of the best historical fiction covers I’ve seen.
  
  I was gifted this copy by History Through Fiction and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
• 
  Sue

  I have read a lot of WWII fiction over the years and it always amazes me to read and learn something about this war that I had never heard of or read about it. In 1928, the Russian government set up the Jewish Autonomous Region in east Siberia. The area was officially established and began populating with Jewish people from all over Russia. In the 1940s there were almost 50,000 people living in this largely agricultural area. Despite the fact that this was set up by the government, the people were treated badly and not given enough tools to properly farm the area. In the rest of Russia at the time this area was settled, Stalin was establishing his communist regime and life was difficult for most people. Anyone who disagreed with the Stalin regime was jailed or killed.
  
  Regina is 18 years old and lives in Moscow with her parents. She's been spending time with a group opposed to the Stalin regime and when her neighbor is taken in for questioning, she knows that she'll be arrested soon. She packs a few items and leaves Moscow to travel to the Jewish region. There she hopes to find someone that she had met in Moscow and establish herself in the area. When she arrives, she find out that the person she was looking for had been arrested and someone else was in charge of the government. She goes to work on a collective farm and works to get her ideas used to help the farm be more profitable. During this time. the war with Germany is getting closer. The man she loves is sent to the Russian front to fight the Germans and she decides to follow him with their infant child. This story is told by Regina to her daughter Lena who found a trove of letters in her father's office after his death that he sent over the years to try to locate someone from the Jewish area of Russia. She knew nothing about her parents' past and was shocked when her mother finally shared the story. Once she has heard the story, she has to make several decisions that could affect her life and her marriage.
  The timeline in this well researched novel is centered around the present day, Regina's time in Russia and the time she spends in a concentration camp. It was an interesting and unsettling account of the harsh life that Jewish people in Russia faced during these time periods. It's a book about family and love, courage and resiliency with a strong female character who never gives up.
  
• 
  Chelsie

  Another very well written historical novel that I learned a lot from. I had never heard of Birobidzhan and the concept of trying to create a Jewish autonomous region during the brink of WWII. This novel follows Regina as a young impressionable adult in Moscow, fearing for her life she heads for refuge to Birobidzhan in hopes for a new start and better life. Regina quickly learns there are rules to follow and often pushes that line with the two men who are often competing against each other for what is best for everyone. Regina is tugged between being loyal to each of them, but it doesn't take long for her to realize how things really are ran in this place. Putting herself and others are risk she makes a decision and promise that will carry her through the rest of her life. On the death bed of her husband, he asks a question that brings into question everything her daughter knew and understood about her mother and where they had come from. Determined to find out the truth, Lena makes a decision that will also alter her life and everything she has lived for. I really enjoyed this novel, it was another piece of WWII history that I had no idea about. Thank you to HFVBT's for the invite and to the author and publisher for the free novel!
• 
  Cover Lover Book Review

  I love the cover art of My Mother’s Secret! It caught my eye quickly and the title certainly piqued my interest. I love it when a book grabs me even before I read the first page.
  
  Reading for entertainment is an awesome pastime, especially when it teaches me something about history, the world around me, or even myself. This story offers that. I had no prior knowledge of Birobidzhan and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and I gained a richer understanding of Russian and Jewish history during WWII.
  
  Dual time-line stories are some of my favorites. I enjoy delving into the past and how it impacts and changes the contemporary side of the story. The author does a stunning job of both. It is evident that a vast amount of research went into this novel to make it feel so authentic and that is much appreciated.
  
  With fabulous storytelling, the author immersed me in another time, place, and atmosphere, and steeped me in heartbreak, triumph, and delight. Highly recommended!
  
  First Line (Prologue): Lena Mirapolsky’s father was dying.
  Genre: WWII Historical Fiction, Jewish History
  Author: Alina Adams
  Page Count: 314
  
  #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
  Opinions are 100% mine.
• 
  Gina Sconyers

  My favorite time period for Historical Fiction books is WW2, so right off the bat this book was meant for me. I enjoyed reading the entire book. I was excited everyday during my reading time to see what adventures Regina was facing. The book offered a perspective I hadn’t been familiar with - the USSR during WW2, Birobidzhan, Soviets in Nazi camps. I was enlightened, I was engulfed and most of all I was charmed by the love story throughout the book. Great love comes at great sacrifice.
  
  Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced copy.
• 
  Stephanie

  As Lena's father says his last words, he unleashes a secret that her mother has kept for Lena's entire life. As Lena's mother, Regina tells of her past, Lena learns about her mother's traumatic past. As a young woman, Regina was afraid that she would be the next target of Stalin's Terror Purge. Regina decides that it would be safest for her to escape to the Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan only to find a struggling community led by fear. Regina finds good in Aaron Kramer, who dares to speak up and share his ideas. When Aaron is punished with an enlistment in the Red Army, Regina follows him as a field nurse. When she is informed that Aaron has been captured, Regina makes her way on foot with her newborn daughter to the prisoner of war camp where he is being held. Now, Lena and Regina desperately try to find the man that Regina still loves.
  
  
  My Mother's Secret is an inspiring story of hope, choices, courage and taking chances. I didn't know anything about the Jewish Autonomous Region, so this was a particularly enlightening story. I was constantly amazed by Regina's ability to keep going in the face of fear and tragedy. The part of the story that took place inside Birobidzhan was disheartening, yet expertly researched. I could feel the desperation and despair, yet the need to work together and persevere. While this section moved a bit slowly for me, it was important to learn about the experiences there and was an integral part of Regina's growth and decision making process. I was continually impressed with Regina as she found the courage to follow Aaron into war and continuously had the conviction within herself to keep going, even when the choices were heartbreaking. In the end, I was glad that hearing Regina's story led Lena to understand more about her mother and her decisions in raising her as well as examine her own choices in life.
  
  This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
  
• 
  ☮Karen

  Many thanks to Library Thing for my free ebook.
  
  There are so many different perspectives on Jewish World War II history, it's almost impossible to know them all. And that's why I keep reading. I had never heard of the Russian Autonomous Region created by Stalin in 1934 as a Jewish safe haven, Birobidzhan. The story is meticulously revealed by Regina Solomonova to her daughter Lena after Lena's father has passed. Regina was very young when she left Moscow for Birobidzhan and such a strong person. Lena had never known much about her mother and didn't feel as close to her as to her father. This will change as Lena and the reader learn more and more.
  
  The author has written a story of determination and amazing resilience before and during the German invasion, with all that it entailed. This is one I would recommend for its uniqueness and originality.
• 
  Rhonda

  As a dying confession, Lena’s father asks his family, “you couldn’t tell could you?” After he , passed her neighbor disappeared. For forty years, Lena’s father was trying to ascertain Aaron Kramers whereabouts. It is a fictional story that takes place in the 1930’s. It is a novel of love, resilience, and amazing determination.
  
  My Jewish Book Club read this novel for March 2023.
• 
  Kelli Hotard

  I found this novel to be gripping and suspenseful. I liked the author's writing style. I gave it a 3 star due to the foreignness of it. I found myself getting lost at times. I would be totally absorbed, then have to stop and look up the meaning of things.
• 
  Dona Burke

  Review to
  I've read many historical fiction WWII novels and Adams' book touches on an area that I was not familiar with at all; the Jewish Autonomous Region which was located on the boarder of Russia and China. It was an area set in Far East Russia for Jews to pursue cultural autonomy.
  
  My Mother's Secret is historical fiction based on facts novel that had me feel as though I was a shadow following Regina in her life's journeys as she fled Moscow to give aid in the JAR camp. From there she finds herself on a journey following a man she loves who serves in the Russian military.
  
  I'll say that I was deeply affected by Regina's determination to pursue nursing in order to remain close to her loved one, to have worked in a German camp treating and saving the lives of Russian, American, and yes, Nazi military, and finally, once American tanks arrived to save them, she reluctantly left her love behind in order to keep her young daughter safe. Although the bond of love may be the background of the story, the war and the treatment of the characters was the main focus for me.
  
  This novel was very well researched, well written, and had me experiencing many different emotions. It did take a little while for the book to start flowing but do not pass it by due to the slow start. I felt numb once I finished reading the last 9 chapters in one sitting. This true to life heroine was stronger and more determined than I could ever be. Kudos to her and to Alina Adams for telling her story. I'm waiting for a production team to pick up the movie option because this one is a winner!
  
  Thanks to #NetGalley and History Through Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This opinion is my own.
  follow.
• 
  Carolyn

  What an epic historical journey Adams takes us on with this gripping novel. So many of us know so little about the Soviet Union in the years prior to and during WWII. The main character, Regina , takes us from Moscow to the first semi independent Jewish State next to China called Birobidzhan. Idealistic Regina has gone there with ideas about socialism and Judaism and works as a slave laborer in an attempt to make the isolated, impoverished state survive. As her hopes are destroyed and she falls in love, she becomes a refugee and walks hundreds of miles of dangerous enemy territory and freezing conditions with her new baby to find her love, Aaron who has been captured by the Germans.
  
  She ends up in a prisoner of war camp where conditions are even more dangerous.
  
  Regina has courage and fortitude beyond words. Adams develops her character extremely well such that the reader can feel her pulse and predict her next move.
  
  The story is in 3 parts : present day in the 1980’s, WWII era, and back to the 1980’s. This organization is very effective and gives the flashback closure.
  
  The author’s own experience as an immigrant from Russia ( now Ukraine) provides the authenticity that makes the story so powerful. . I highly recommend.
• 
  Sherry Chiger

  Few people know about Russia's Jewish Autonomous Oblast, the USSR's failed attempt to create a Jewish homeland several decades before the establishment of Israel. "My Mother's Secret" shines a light on the locality's early days, as well as on the horrors of the Soviet army during World War II and the horrific treatment of Soviet POWs, by both the Germans during the war and their own government afterward.
  
  The depiction of all this seems to be impeccably researched and authentic. What felt less authentic to me was the love story at the center of the book. There were enough convenient coincidences to make Dickens blush, and the character Aaron seemed more wish fulfillment than flesh-and-blood. What's more, at times the language of 1930s and '40s Regina was jarringly glib and modern. Nonetheless the pace was quick and my attention rarely wavered, and though I think most dual-timeline novels are lazy—if the main, historical story were strong enough, would it need the contemporary framing device?—here the flanking present-day sections of the book enhanced and completed the already solid historical core.
  
  Thank you, History Through Fiction, IBPA, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Book Loft Reader

  My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams is a novel that tells the story of a young Soviet Jew, Regina during the pre-World War II years and after as well as all the events during WWII. This book spans the time before, after, and during WWII; Alina Adams does a seamless job at making these transitions between each of the actions of the book. This book begins during what is known as Josef Stalin’s Great Terror Regina begins to fear for her live as she has become very friendly with her new neighbor who can be considered to be a revoluntionist. She decided to leave Moscow and head to Birobidzhan and how the beginning of World War II affected the citizens of Birobidzhan and the USSR overall. We are also shown how the Soviet Union was involved in World War II and how the events of The Holocaust and of the war effected the Soviets. After Regina’s husband passes away, she proceeds to tell her daughter her story and how they came to be in America. We follow the story of Regina living in the USSR, modern day Russia pre-WWII, during the war, and how she immigrated to the United States.
  There were many aspects that I enjoyed while reading Adams' novel including the development of the characters. As I progressed through the novel I could definitely see Regina's character arc change from when she was first introduced to when she had to become involved in the war effort. When we first met Regina she was a very naive and sometimes self-centered young lady as she believed anything the Soviet leaders relay to the citizens. As she continues on her journey while at the same time faces new situations by herself she becomes more independent as a character. Regina’s character also becomes more independent in regards to her role as a woman during this time. Many women during this time period were seen as objects and property of men. Adams does an exceptional job at showing her readers how the circumstances that Regina faces during her time in the USSR, Birobidzhan, and the Prisoner of War Camp (POW Camps) has changed her and how she responds to various situations. However, we are also able to see how Regina still retreats back to her younger self-centered and naive self . When thinking about the men in this novel and their characters - they do not go through major character arcs like Regina did. I really enjoyed this as when thinking about the man’s role in a pre-historic role in society they did not really go through major changes as they were seen as the central figure. This is accurately portrayed in Alina Adams novel as Aaron and Felix characters do not undergo any major changes, but stay very true to the character that we were introduced to in the beginning.
  The main atmosphere of My Mother’s Secret was Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region/Oblast (JAR) Birobidzhan which was a region where the USSR wanted to contain all the Soviet Jews and Stalang K-3 - a POW camp in Poland. There was not a lot of detail about Moscow, however as seen in the summary Regina was trying to flee Moscow, however we are not given a clear description on where she was going or why. I did find this a little frustrating as I like to know everything that is going on. However I did appreciate this as what I was feeling was exactly how many USSR citizens felt like during this time. As I continued to progress through the story I was able to clear my original thoughts and ideas on what the JAR and Birobidzhan were. In regards to the POW camp, I was able to have a better grasp on this, as I am more familiar with the POW camps than I was with the USSR attempt to create a Jewish homeland before Israel was established. When Regina arrived at each of these places, Adams was able to convey a very descriptive of each of them in a way where I was able to understand each of these places and how they were different from where Regina was and where she was heading. When the Soviets were talking about The United States, many of the Soviets had a negative image of The United States. This helped to add to the authenticity of the novel.
  I think that this book helps to bring attention to what happened to many of the Soviet Jews during the during World War II as well as a couple years before and after. I found the beginning of this novel a little challenging personally as I was not as historically familiar with the events that occurred during this time period in the USSR . I have read many book about WWII in regards to The Holocaust and Germany, however this was the first time that I read about what was happening over in the USSR. I did enjoy learning about the JAR, Birobidzhan, and about the treatment of prisoners of the POW camps. I think that my main problem with this novel was my limited knowledge, however going back into the summary I think that many readers will be able to have a better understanding of what the JAR and Birobidzhan was and how it plays an important role in the novel. There will be certain words that are not familiar to the readers, however they are not as integral to the plot as the JAR and Birobidzhen were. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel and have learned about Russia’s past. I would recommend this book for anyone who is willing to take the time to learn about Russia’s history during and around World War II. I am looking forward to purchasing My Mother’s Secret for my own personal library.
  I would like to thank Alina Adams, Net Gallery, and History Through Fiction for the opportunity to read My Mother’s Secret.
• 
  Kristine L.

  After her husband’s death in 1988, Regina looks back and slowly reveals bits and pieces of her past to her daughter. It includes Stalin’s purges, Siberian gulags, World War II, the frozen Eastern Front, a German P.O.W. Stalag, fear, repression, hope, and immense personal sacrifice. Also listening to one’s own judgment “instead of ceding it to somebody else.”
  
  As Lena listens, stunned, she suddenly realizes "she’d never known her mother at all.”
  
  Young Regina flees Moscow during Stalin’s reign of terror. A half-step ahead of the dreaded NKVD, Regina runs to Birobidzhan. She has high hopes for the socialist autonomous Jewish community until toiling in the fields in primitive conditions throws a cold splash of Reality on her dreams. But it’s not all bad.
  
  Here she meets the dashing, kind-hearted Aaron Kramer. He’s head of Regina’s agricultural detail. The pair falls in love. The romance blossoms into a marriage proposal. But Aaron has also drawn the ire of Birobidzhan’s Soviet leader, Felix. Regina has caught Felix’s eye as well. In a fit of jealousy and rage, Felix “arranges” for Aaron to be transferred to the Red Army and the Eastern Front.
  
  Regina refuses to leave Aaron. She exits the community, joins a medical unit, looks for and finally reunites with the love of her life. A baby is born. Then Aaron’s unit is transferred. Shortly thereafter, word reaches Regina that her beloved Aaron has been taken prisoner by the Germans. Undaunted, Regina makes up her mind to find him and bring Aaron home. Can she? And at what cost?
  
  Forty years later... Oh, wait. You'll have to read the book yourself for that.
  
  Fascinating and deeply immersive, My Mother’s Secret is a compelling love story set against the sweeping backdrop of the old Soviet Union. Think Doctor Zhivago meets Fiddler on the Roof meets Exodus. With snow. Lots of snow.
  
  Rooted in a little-known chapter of Soviet history, My Mother’s Secret is a powerful story about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters. It’s also about consequences, the beauty of hope, and choosing wisely.
  
  Beautifully written, thoroughly researched, and utterly absorbing, My Mother’s Secret expertly combines riveting historical fiction, compelling characters, high octane action, and a poignant love story. It’s sure to melt even the most Siberian hearts. I'd grab a copy, 'fize you. Now would be good.
• 
  Celeste

  I learned a lot of Jewish history from fiction: The Source by James Michener; Inside, Outside and Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk; all of the All of a Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor; A Boy of Old Prague; and many more. However, I never heard of Birobidzhan until I married a Yiddishist. He told me it was the Jewish autonomous region established by the Soviets and they spoke Yiddish there; he even has a couple friends who were born there. But Alina Adams' My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region brought the ordeal of Soviet Jews and their experience there and in other places to life.
  
  Regina Solomonovich's family has been forced to share their once-spacious apartments with other families. Each family, including her and her parents, gets a room. One large room is allotted to a single woman, who must have some sort of connections what with getting all that space to herself. Young Regina gets to know Cecelia Melamed, also Jewish, and starts reading and learning about the Jewish autonomous region. When Cecelia is suddenly taken into custody, Regina takes the train to Birobidzhan (without permission from the Komzet). There she comes to realize that the agricultural collective would be failing completely were it not for one section leader who works hard and learns from those who know how to work the land rather than the Soviets. That section leader is Aaron Kramer, and he's also very handsome, of course. Their romance is the center of the book. It turns out Regina really will do anything for love, and her actions reveal more of the Soviet policy that made more than two million Jews desperate to emigrate.
  
  One of the sharpest points Adams makes abouts the Soviets is that contrary to widespread belief in the United States in the 1970s and 80s, the Russians don't really love their children too. The USSR didn't love their soldiers enough to sign on to the Geneva Convention during World War II, so its soldiers were starved and abused by their German captors.
  
  She also includes some amusing observations about Americans she's made to me in person as well: "They enter... life with their big, American smiles first," and their inimitable optimism and happiness.
  
  Regina, like the author, ends up emigrating to San Francisco (the book starts at daughter Lena's father's deathbed, so this is no spoiler). Regina and Lena have a tense relationship. Regina never reassures her American daughter the way other mothers do; Regina has no basis for believing everything will turn out ok.
  
  My Mother's Secret is a powerful story with a great romance and strong family love at its heart. Careful, thorough research described in an end chapter makes it a fuller, more robust tale with a true chapter of history as its framework.
• 
  Robin Henry

  I would have given it 3.5 stars if that were allowed. It is good.
  
  This followup novel to Nesting Dolls is basically strong, and the setting is a place that many American readers may not be familiar with, the Soviet attempt at creating an “autonomous” Jewish homeland.
  
  The novel opens with Regina, our heroine, on the train escaping from the Soviet secret police by traveling without papers to Birobidzhan, the Jewish Autonomous Region set up by the Soviets. The year is 1935 and Regina is a true believer. She believes that the communist government has the people’s best interests at heart. She believes that the communists want to be fai. She believes that Birobidzhan will be a land flowing with milk and honey, as the propaganda promises.
  
  Adams does a good job setting up a naive heroine, while letting the reader in on what is really going on. Regina’s parents, for instance, do not share her illusions. She also does a good job weaving in the backstory and giving the reader an emotional payoff, all well done.
  
  Where the novel falters a little is in the heavy-handedness of Regina’s misbelief/insecurities and the message about trusting yourself to make choices. While insecurity is fine as a motivation for a character, the delivery is a little blunt and telly. Rather than let the reader figure it out, which by the way, they could have, because the story is very good, Adams chooses to hit us upside the head with it.
  
  Likewise the message. A more subtle approach that respects the reader would have made the book more enjoyable. When the daughter has to tell the reader through interiority that she is hitting her mother where it hurts by invoking her insecurity, I was annoyed. Of course she does, that is what daughters do! Trust the reader, trust the reader, trust the reader.
  
  The story and characters are well drawn, and the setting is impeccable—I could almost feel the mosquitoes biting me during the harvest. It is unfortunate that it goes a little overboard on the message, otherwise, it is a wonderful novel.
  
  
• 
  Lindsey (Bring My Books)

  Thank you to NetGalley, History Through Pages, & IBPA for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
  
  ✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
  
  It's always weird to say you "liked" or "really enjoyed" a book about wartime and oppression, so let's just say instead that I was deeply moved at the story Alina Adams created in My Mother's Secret, and that I was blown away by the attention to historical detail and very interested in learning more about the JAR after finishing - because prior to reading this synopsis I had not heard of it. Once. Not even a mention.
  
  The only aspects of the book that I "liked" rather than "really liked / loved" were Dialogue & Pacing - I felt like I was being told certain things about how the characters felt vs shown through their words, and sometimes the pacing felt the tiniest bit slow in places and too fast in others.
  
  THAT BEING SAID, I finished this book over a week ago and can 100% tell you that those ^ two things, while true, are not going to be what sits with me long term when I tell people about this book.
  
  I was drawn into the story pretty much from the very first page, and had a hard time setting this book down as I kept reading. Although it is dual timeline, the great majority of the book takes place in the Soviet Union, roughly from 1920-1945. I already knew a fair amount about the USSR during that timeframe, but reading about it in this book made some of it feel like I was learning everything again for the first time.
  
  And as for the JAR (or Jewish Autonomous Region), I most certainly was. I am incredibly grateful for the author's detailed "Fact from Fiction" / Author's Note at the end of the book - I will for sure be going through some of the resources she listed to learn more on my own!
  
  (And that, my friends, is the beauty of a well-written historical fiction novel.)
• 
  Jessica

  I listened to a podcast interview with Alina Adams about the release of this book and decided to give a try. I was skeptical because the market right now is flooded with WWII and Russian stories, and an increasing number of them are mediocre at best.
  
  In my opinion this is not mediocre. The writing is good, and the story moves at a decent pace. This is not a Russia- WWII story that is full of heart break and tragedy, though it easily could have been. My one biggest issue was the part where Regina follows Aaron to a Stalag with her daughter in tow. What? It seems to be a stretch, but hey it made for an interesting plot line. And in a well written, engaging story I will let it pass.
  
  When I read historical fiction, and I read a lot of it, I look for engaging stories, accurate historical research, and I hope to learn something (if not from the book itself, in whatever google search it might send me down). This was all of those things. I learned about the Jewish Autonomous region, and let me just say that was an interesting google hole. Reading about the climate of the region alone made me wonder why anyone would have thought it was a decent place to try to carve out an agricultural existence. (I say that from my cushy windswept Kansas home). And in that podcast interview Alina Adams continuously stated that she likes to write what she knows. Its pretty clear she knows about the fear, secrecy, racism's, of Soviet Russia. She has a good understanding of the cultural differences between immigrant Russian families and Americans, and she clearly knows what it was like to escape the Soviet Union, and then return after 1988 to an questionable and distrustful atmosphere.
  
  Because Alina Adams knows about these things, I hope she writes more, I certainly plan to read The Nesting Dolls.
• 
  Dive Into A Good Book

  My Mother's Secret is bursting with knowledge. I am embarrassed to say I have never heard of Birobidzham, the Jewish Autonomous Region that the Russian's formed in 1934. A bleak desolate land at the edge of the earth. Where the summers are blazing hot, and the winters are as cold as ice. Alina Adams takes you on a deep dive into the past, bringing you back to how the Jewish people were treated in the USSR during World War II. Birobidzham was a dream, a place where Jewish people could live out their days being able to truly be themselves and not have to hide. They could toile in the fields and yield crops beyond their wildest dreams. Sounds too good to be true, well it was.
  
  Lena and her mother Regina are standing vigil besides her father as he draws his final breath, he whispers, "You couldn't tell, could you?" Leaving Lena confused as she says goodbye to the father who was her everything. She finally asks her mother what he meant, and her life takes an immediate turn. Deeply guarded family secrets are unearthed, leaving you breathless and shocked. The way she looks upon her mother has changed. She is no longer the tough unloving woman, but a brave, strong woman who would do anything for the man she loved.
  
  This book will slowly draw you in. The descriptions will transport you to a land and a life you would never want to be forced into. The mind games that the Russian's played to have their people be submissive and brainwashed will make your head spin. At times, the book read like a dense textbook. You must look beneath the layers to draw out the story. Thank you to Alina Adams, History Through Fiction, and HF Virtual Book Tours for this enlightening read.
• 
  Melanie

  Wow, this is a suspenseful read with rich historical context (just enough) and strong relationships between characters. Readers of
  The Rose Code and other Kate Quinn books (women, WWII, relationships) and
  Last Train to Istanbul will like this book, and vice versa (Jews, WWII, relationships), and perhaps also
  A Recipe for Daphne (Greek Christians in Istanbul, historical conflict, relationships). This was my first read by this author. I've added her
  The Nesting Dolls to my to-read list. From the description, it reminds me of
  Together Tea (Iranian Revolution, US immigration, relationships).
• 
  J Earl

  My Mother's Secret by Alina Adams is a novel that will carry you to places you may not have known about as well as show how strength can take many forms.
  
  I found the story itself to be moving and, most important, I was invested in the characters. One of the things that, for me, made this special was how it made me consider the things people will do to each other. From how groups will treat other groups to how individuals will treat other individuals. Trust can be hard to find, and even harder to regain.
  
  The other thing that I appreciate about the book is what turned out to be a history/geography lesson. The JAO is desolate and, even during its peak the Jewish population was not in the majority. I vaguely recall having heard of it but knew nothing about it. I love novels that make me want to look up history.
  
  I would recommend this to readers who like historical fiction, but the story is so much more than that. It is a story about people, what love can make people do, and how we will do what we can for those we love. So the readership should extend well beyond just those with an interest in historical fiction.
  
  Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
• 
  Connie Hill

  My Mother's Secret: A novel of the Jewish Autonomous is written by Alina Adams. This is my first exposure to the author, and it will not be my last. The book is a little over 350 pages, and you will be drawn in within the first few pages. The author's story brings to life a part of history that I was not familiar with.
  
  I read a lot of World War II fiction. I have learned so much of this part of history because of it. I have not however ever read a story about the Russian Government setting up the Jewish Autonomous Region that was in East Siberia. We meet Regina who heads for refuge when she sees her neighbor getting arrested and fears that she is next. She has to learn who she can trust - and who she can lean on. Regina finds herself attracted to two people in the camp. Aaron, who comes up with potentially dangerous ideas and Felix who is the commander of the camp. Both of these gentleman clash against each otehr.
  
  
  The author did such an amazing job writing this little known part of history. The characters are well written, the storyline is unique and engaging. Thank you to the author, publisher and Historical Fiction Virtual Tours for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.
• 
  Smbergin

  Alina Adams takes readers on 18 year old Regina’s journey while, in 1930, she flees Moscow certain she will be captured by the Kremlin. She heads to Birobidzhan, the first Jewish Autonomous Region and located on the boarder of Russia and China. Confused by the actions and betrayals of those she left behind, Regina doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe, until she decides … at great expense … to follow her heart.
  
  My Mother’s Secret took me to places, times, conflicts and ideologies I had not previosuly known. I learned a lot, while admittedly got a bit lost in some of the political passages. While usually not a fan of romantic storylines, I liked this one (although at times felt a little far-fetched).
  
  Three things I loved. The author’s note; the origin story for Lena’s name; and the “It’s nice to have so many choices, but a shame none of them good,” quip (made me laugh every time!)
  
  Thank you to History Through Fiction for an ARC of My Mother’s Secret, which will be published November 15, 2022.
  
• 
  Alina Rubin

  Growing up in USSR, I heard my grandparents mention the Jewish Autonomous Republic. It was so strange to hear the word "Jewish" in an official way, not whispered. I was curious about this place, but my grandparents knew little about it. I imagined it a place where Jews lived for generations, and the government recognized it officially as the home of the Jews. Nothing could've been further from the truth.
  I'm glad Alina Adams shone a light on this page of Jewish history so few know about. Unfortunately, Birobidzhan was similar to the rest of Soviet Union under Stalin: not enough food or supplies, but plenty of reasons to fear your neighbors. Supporting a government-backed idea on Monday could doom you on Tuesday. And then the story moves into WWII, and the camp for prisoners of war.
  I really enjoyed the storytelling, excellent writing, and the research. I've read many Alina Adams' works over the years, from figure skating mysteries to parenting blog posts. I love how versatile of an author she is and look forward to many more great books from her.
• 
  Michael Hassel Shearer

  My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams To begin with I am neither Jewish or female. I think this book is best read by someone who is both. And yet, I enjoyed this book. Based upon the notes after the completion of the book, this novel falls into the category of historical fiction. My Mother’s Secret is about the love between two people who meet in the Birobidzhan, the Jewish Autonomous Region created in the Soviet Union between Siberia and China. I have seen pictures of this region and Ms. Adams has provided links to some YouTube videos about the region. I do not wish to spoil the story but will only say it is how these two young people were torn apart by WW II including the fight as well as the capture of the young man and how he loved her so much he forced her to go to America with a GI along with their baby. The story ends nearly 50 years later. If it sounds interesting, please read the book. You might even shed a tear.