Author: Kate Quinn
Genre: Historical-fiction
Trigger warnings: cold-blooded murders, sexual references and alcoholism
"If we act like prey, they will act like predators."
Alyxandra Harvey
It is the last Sunday of the month of March . This means it marks the end of the series of posts which revolved around celebrating women in the real as well as reel life. Maybe you guys will have to wait for another year to see more posts which are related to the same. Though personally, I feel that deeds of inspiring people should be celebrated everyday irrespective of whether the person is a man or a woman. I do hope you enjoyed the picks which revolved around the women who inspired this month. Do tell me about the same in the comments section. Also, do tell me about who inspires you in the real as well as reel life and why so that maybe your picks can make it to the post of this blog someday. Plus, it enables me to get an insight into your minds as well as get some good picks to read, watch , listen and gain wisdom and knowledge 😅. So, don't forget to mention about the same in the comments section. Don't worry, you will get your due credit:p for the same.
Therefore, let's end this month in a bang by talking about a book which revolves around three female protagonists and two male leads who are connected to each other. Not by blood but by a purpose. Did this intrigue you? Read on to find out more.
About the book: The Huntress revolves around the lives of Nina Markova, Jordan McBride and a woman who is known as die jägerin but no one knows her real identity.Apart from them we also have Ian Graham and Tony who is an assistant to Ian. A little light on the characters before we proceed further. Nina Markova is a tough woman who has always dreamed of escaping the drudgery of her life. She does so by becoming a pilot and a part of the Night Witches regiment which wrecked havoc on the Germans. Ian is a former war correspondent who after witnessing the horrors of war decided to hang his boots and thus becomes a Nazi hunter. Jordan McBride is a 17 year old girl who is raised by her single father who runs an antique shop and aspires to be a photographer someday. The thread which connects these four people is a woman who is supposed to have shot a young man and killed six children in cold blood next to a lake in German occupied Poland.
Who is this cold-blooded woman and what was her objective behind these killings? Also, why is this woman important to these four people? What is the purpose of these four people to track this woman down? Will this woman be tracked down or will she be a wild goose chase?
Analysis: This is a book which explores the impact of a war on women. Nina was a pilot in the Soviet Air Force who rose up to several ranks . But somewhere, she has to pay the price for the same as her endless sacrifice goes in vain. Ian too is suffering from the post trauma effects of the same due to which he has stopped doing what he was good at. Die Jagrin in order to escape her fate does something which is supposed to be rational but at the same time rises the suspicion of her step daughter. And finally Jordan, is finding it difficult to accept the reality of her familial life as she is suspicious of her so called step mother even though she is the very mother anyone would want.
The book narrates the tale from the eyes of the three protagonists even though there are five characters who play an important role in the story. The story seamlessly shifts from one viewpoint to another that it does not create any confusion in the minds of the reader. Another highlight of the book is that though the setup is fictional in nature, but there are segments which have actually occurred in history. The book has strong female characters who have been portrayed as women who are way ahead of their times. Imagine being a woman who lives in the cold areas of Siberia and yet breaking the shackles which tie her by being a decorated pilot. That is Nina for you. Imagine a woman who wanted to escape her past and start her life afresh in a country with no connections and yet succeeds in doing the same. That is Annelise for you. Imagine being a 17 year old girl who wants to live life on her own terms and harbors a dream of being a world famous photographer . That is Jordan McBride for you. The beauty of these women lies in the fact that each one has her own aspirations and are willing to bend circumstances in their favor despite the difficulties faced by them. Out of the three if you ask me who is the most favorite, I would personally pick up Nina over the two. She is a character which according to me has been written the most beautifully.This is because she represents how a badass woman looks and acts like. Others might perceive her crazy or weird but when a woman knows her worth and capabilities, she does start acting like a woman in charge. Thirdly, the story line is gripping in nature that you feel as if you are a part of the story.
Even though the story has traces of mature themes thrown into it , it does not feel overburdening to the extent that it might affect the psyche of the minds reading it. Still, if you are someone who seems to be affected by such themes, it is better to exercise caution. The only drawback I personally felt was that the book was a bit lengthy that I had to chalk out a lot of time to finish it. I don't mind long novels but given my busy schedule , it does a feel a bit of drag to finish long pieces of work. That is the only complaint I have.😅
Verdict: An exciting piece of work which explores how life was in the Second World War with three women in the picture. This one will never fail you nor disappoint you as it will keep you hooked to your seats.So, do give it a read if you are a lover of stories which have strong female characters or if you are a history enthusiast. I personally enjoyed this one and hope you will do so. Believe me this one has a great potential to be made into a great movie provided some shoddy work is not done while converting this piece of literature into the big screen as some works disappoint with their onscreen conversions. Also, this book has traces of mystery and thrill added to it which should also excite the people who are big fans of the genre. So, do give it a read in your spare time and do tell me about your experiences. Will be waiting for your lovely feedback as well. Meet you next week with a new pick . Till then take care and have fun.
P.S. - If you ever feel that do I have a thing for books which are supposed to be New York Times best sellers because a lot of the books that I have covered as a part of book reviews are a part of , believe me there is no such things. In fact, it is more of a coincidence that the books which I select to read turn out to be in the list 😅🤣. So, in no manner am I connected to New York Times nor do I personally endorse their best sellers. I just review books which I feel must be read and share my opinions about it. I really need not had to post this justification but I thought it is always good to post a disclaimer instead of letting people assume things.😝😄
Cite Bite: ""What is the opposite of a lake? What is the opposite of drowning? What lies all the way west?" (Nina in an attempt to discover herself as an individual)
Rating: ****
Que: What is the name of the brand of the camera that Jordan uses to click pictures with?
a. Kodak
b. Canon
c. Nikon
d. Leica
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