We Shall See the Sky Sparkling by Susana Aikin
Author: Susana Aikin
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Publish Date: January 29, 2019
Source: HFVBT
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "Like other well-bred young women in Edwardian England, Lily Throop is expected to think of little beyond marriage and motherhood. Passionate about the stage, Lily has very different ambitions. To her father's dismay, she secures an apprenticeship at London's famous Imperial Theatre. Soon, her talent and beauty bring coveted roles and devoted admirers. Yet to most of society, the line between actress and harlot is whisper-thin. With her reputation threatened by her mentor's vicious betrayal, Lily flees to St. Petersburg with an acting troupe--leaving her first love behind.
Life in Russia is as exhilarating as it is difficult. The streets rumble with talk of revolution, and Lily is drawn into an affair with Sergei, a Count with fervent revolutionary ideals. Following Sergei when he is banished to Vladivostok, Lily struggles to find her role in an increasingly dangerous world. And as Russian tensions with Japan erupt into war, only fortitude and single-mindedness can steer her to freedom and safety at last.
With its sweeping backdrop and evocative details, We Shall See the Sky Sparkling explores a fascinating period in history through the eyes of a strong-willed, singular heroine, in a moving story of love and resilience."
My Two Cents:
"We Shall See the Sky Sparkling" is the story of Lily, a young woman. Instead of getting married and starting a family, Lily dreams of being on stage. Actresses are very much looked down upon during this time period and Lily confronts the stereotypes of what an actress is (and more so what she will do) at every turn. Her dream career and her love will take her to places she has dreamed of and those that she never could have imagined. This is a great story with a lot of rich detail!
I am always drawn to fish out of water stories. Lily is a well-bred girl that dreams of being an actress. I was not very familiar with what life as an actress was like at the time so I loved getting insight into it through Lily's eyes. She is a spunky character who knows what she wants out of life. As we see in this book, when she commits to something, she really commits to something even when it might be challenged by society or incredibly difficult. We also see this side of her in the romance in the book. Ohhh, I don't want to give anything away but the romance in this book gave me life and kept me turning the pages.
The book takes place at the turn of the 20th century and the detail is oh so good. I absolutely love books set in England but there is something so exciting to find one set in Russia. I love historical fiction set in Russia, especially when it's set right when this book is set. Russia is very much an evolving place during this time period and as Lily finds out, it can be both kind and cruel in equal measure.
This was a great book!