A good deed gone bad (sorta). Alexandra helps an elderly couple and their son as they get into a cab outside the wrong hotel and accidentally winds up with one of their bags. Of course, it happens to contain cremated ashes in a wooden keepsake. Of course there is no identification anywhere, save that inscribed atop the box. Alone in Sofia, Bulgaria with nary a friend to assist, she is set to reunite the deceased with the affiliated living.

Alternating to her childhood, growing up mostly off the land with her parents and older brother. A life she cherished and he resented with aplomb. His rambunctious, often destructive ways took them into more accommodating digs in the city. Things seemed to work well with more outlets, until they didn’t. And he disappears.

Third to first person narrative also alternates. Past is I, present is she. Preface to guilt laid.
College, parental divorce, her own involvement dismissals turn her deeper into her love of reading. Unable to stand her profound sadness and the forefront memories that bind them, she takes a job teaching English and again starts this story in Bulgaria. A taxi hailed and adventure begun.

Alexandria and Bobby (the taxi driver) set off to find the keepers of the ashes. With each attempt
they appear to get closer to an end. The driving is scenic (often too much so) and historical. Bobby is well versed in his native lore and most genial in his manner. Still, he is a total stranger and Alexandria is alone in a foreign land, leery.

It’s not until they stop at Bobby’s aunt’s house that the story actually drew me in. A stray dog in tow, secrets begin to expose themselves.

Part 2
The history of the ashes, the exceptional violinist, Stoyan Lazarov, they once were. Briefly.
There is someone after them. Someone leaving yellow painted words, threats on the taxi windshield. Then, also, bullet holes. But the who/the why is evasive.

Meeting the sister-in-law of the deceased, learning the familial history. The life endured during Hitler’s far reaching turpitude. And then more related, albeit mostly unaware, as to the significance of the urn. Especially those of power and persuasion. Like the fable of The Lion and the Bear, there are heroes and there are villains.

Part 3
Alternating between present and Stoyan’s pre-death “confession” letter of horrors after happening upon a murder scene and thereafter tortured into silence in Hitleresque prisons. Much like Adrien Brody in The Pianist, Stoyan maintains his sanity by mentally practicing his playing and creating scenes at home.

The final unity of Bobby, Alexandra and Stoyan’s son, Nevin forge a team set out to save, expose and redeem. Oh, and the dog, too. (Who had an ironic history of his own.)
In what is finally a crescendo where it mostly began, there comes a final peace. Not without bittersweet loss, but an end just the same.

This is a good story, that had it been about 200 pages shorter than its 477 would have been marvelous. Kostova’s eye for details should have squinted a bit more to tell more story and show less minuteness. Still, I applaud her for this novel that will remain in my own memories.

I'll admit, I first picked this one up for the beautiful cover, but I'm glad I did! The story it beautiful inside and out!

I had a difficult time getting into this story, which surprised me. It seemed to have too many details they were unnecessary and detracted from the story..

When I saw an ARC of Elizabeth Kostova’s new novel available for request on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it because her earlier novel THE HISTORIAN is one of my top… twenty-five favorite books of all time. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read it, and I apologize to Ms. Kostova and the publisher for this late review.

As with THE HISTORIAN, THE SHADOW LAND has skips from past to present and back again. This isn’t the easiest thing to follow until you get used to it, because you have to get used to it or you risk missing an important, powerful story.

I won’t compare this novel to the other Kostova book I read any more than that. This one stands alone and it was simply that one that made me want to read this one.

The lead character, Alexandra, comes off as awfully naive, almost to the point of being cliched in her innocent-American-caught-up-in-European-intrigue storyline. The lead man in the story is more original and interesting, though it’s vaguely irritating that he proclaims to be so proud of his Bulgarian heritage but insists that he be called Bobby instead of Aspurah.

One thing it is easy to love about this novel is that, once again, Kostova manages to weave intricate, not well-known Eastern European history into a fascinating story without having the story end up too heavy with historical facts and figures or too light and uneducated. I’ve never learned so much about Bulgaria as I did reading this book and I thank the author for that. That being said, I went into the story expecting folklore (sorry, one more reference to THE HISTORIAN) but I was pleasantly surprised it went into the Communist history of Bulgaria, and of Europe as a whole, instead. This is, as an added bonus, the first book I’ve ever read set in Bulgaria!

Here’s the thing about THE SHADOW LAND, in conclusion –

I would read the story of the Past, of Stoyan Lazarov and his wife and family as they struggled to survive communism. And I would read the story of American Alexandra and Bulgarian Bobby, of their fight to right wrongs and find healing and love. But I am not 100% convinced that the two stories meld together as well as they should. It’s almost… too much coincidence, luck, and circumstance that Alexandra ends up caring what happened to Stoyan. Basically, I want two books instead of one. Which is always a good thing!

The conclusion of the story (as opposed to my conclusion above, it seems) is a little disjointed because of the separate stories. The Bad Guy is the same in both timelines, in both stories, and that’s a good thing. But Alexandra ends up sort of tossed into what is obviously supposed to be a meaningful relationship with a very minor character, making their love lose some of it’s oomph, and Bobby hardly gets an ending at all.

I cared about these people and I want them to have more, darn it!

Overall, though, it’s a good book and it gets four stars from me for Bulgarian history.

I received a copy of THE SHADOW LAND through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own, my review is posted on my blog, on Goodreads, and on NetGalley.

The writing is good (Kostova is always good), but I didn't connect with the story and ended up daunted by its size too much to continue reading it.

the author writes very well and she does well with her genre of historical fiction. It's an interesting idea of a book and it keeps the readers interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC of this book. This book is true to its title description. The reader won't be disappointed when reading this book.

I loved this novel just as much as "The Historian". Kostova continues to be one of the greatest storytellers currently writing.

This novel was satisfying just like its predecessor the Historian.  Seeped heavily in historical facts and beautiful landscapes the reader will fall into the setting.  Highly enjoyable but at times too wordy.

Several years ago, when I was in a vampire phase, a co-worker introduced me to Elizabeth Kostova and let me borrow The Historian. It was a huge book, very intimidating, and I was warned it was much different than the YA and cozy mysteries I was used to. Kostova's style is definitely out of my realm and comfort zone of what I normally read, but I absolutely love her writing. I fell in love with The Historian so much I bought my own copy, just to have. So when I saw another book by her, I immediately scooped it up. Again, just by reading the summary, I doubt I would have grabbed this one, but I'm so glad I had been introduced to her in the past and decided to go on a limb. I absolutely loved this book. Loved traveling back and forth in time to learn a story of the past to weave it into a mystery of the present. Kostova takes me to places I will likely never be able to travel to. She tells stories that keep you gripped to the pages and continually wanting more.

I rather enjoyed Kostova's 'The Historian,' but the main reason that I picked up this book is that I recently, and unexpectedly, traveled to Sofia, Bulgaria - and loved it. I was eager to revisit the city with a book set there. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my hopes. The perspective on Bulgaria is definitely that of a tourist's brief visit: "I went to that monastery on my trip, so I'm going to make my characters go there too!"

Alexandra is a young American woman who's landed a teaching gig in Bulgaria, and has decided to arrive a bit early to take in the sights and get adjusted to life in Sofia. Unfortunately, as soon as she arrives at her hotel, a luggage mishap means that she ends up with someone else's bag - a bag that turns out to hold a funerary urn. Appalled by her error, she appeals to her taxi driver for help in attempting to return the remains of the deceased, Stoyan Lazarov, to his family - a task which turns out to be much harder than either of them initially anticipated, as the current whereabouts of the family, and their history, is rather shrouded in mystery.

And this was my main problem with the book. Kostova makes a huge deal of the 'mystery' throughout the plot. The Lazarovs - and even the taxi driver - are apparently hiding secrets. It's played up to such an extent that it almost requires some kind of dark and supernatural revelation, as she gave us in The Historian. But there's nothing of the sort here. (I feel this is sort of an anti-spoiler, as I feel like I may have enjoyed the book more if I had ruled out expecting a dramatic revelation.) We do find out a bit of the past of the Lazarov family and it's some fairly quotidian stuff involving Bulgaria's past political turmoil. 

My other issue is that the characters' decisions appear to be driven by the necessity of the plot, rather than any sensible logic process. OK, fine, young women have been known to go to crazy lengths after seeing an attractive man, but why would the taxi driver would take days out of his life for her strange errand? I remained unconvinced by the justifications.  

Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

First let me thank Netgalley, and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.   

Honestly, I had a bit of a hard time slogging through this book.   I'm giving it three stars (out of 5) because I think it contained good historical information about Bulgaria, and the writing was good.  But for me, the plot was a bit far-fetched, and the story was pretty dreary.   I didn't buy it that on Alexandra Boyd's first day in a foreign (REALLY foreign) country -- she would start driving far and wide across the country on an improbable quest with a taxi driver that she knew nothing about.

The storyline switches back and forth between present-day Bulgaria which is trying to revive after the fog of a dictatorial government has supposedly been lifted; and  Bulgaria in the mid-twentieth century.   On Alexandra's first day in Bulgaria she accidentally ends up with the ashes of a Bulgarian musician.  What follows is her quest to return the ashes to the family who lost them, and the story of the man, Stoyan Lazarov, whose urn she is carrying.

Lazarov was a promising violinist as Nazi Germany rose to power in Europe.  After WWII ended and Bulgaria became a closed communist country, Lazarov was sent to a 'work camp' (ie. forced labor camp) for an undisclosed offenses against the state.   Lazarov's time in the brutal camp was buoyed by imaginging the birth and nurturing of a phantom son.  

The story bounces between the Alexandra's present day quest across Bulgaria trailed by menancing government officials and a rising political figure who appears to be up to no good; and Lazarov's horrific experiences in the labor camp, and how the aftermath of those experiences shaped him and his family.   There is a tiny bit of magical realism in the book, and as I said before the writing is good.   I just had to keep exhorting myself to continue to read the book because it all seemed so sad and generally gray.   It's not the way you want to read a book.

I am a big fan of Elizabeth Kostova since she released The Historian, and she didn't disappoint here! One thing I truly appreciate is her delicacy in handling myths and history. As a historian myself, it is frustrating to read books by authors who don't understand the differences in worldviews that influences other cultures. Often this leads to poorly written books. However, Kostova has proven up to the challenge of effectively communicating cultural and societal differences through her writing.

It takes some time and effort to tackle one of Elizabeth Kostova's lengthy tomes and this was well worth it.

Unfortunately, I DNFed this book in the first 15%. It just didn't grab my attention.

We're a long, LONG way from the beauty and brilliance of The Historian here. I'm declining to comment further due to the tremendous respect I have for Kostova based on her first novel.

I think this story just wasn't for me. History buffs might adore the look back in Bulgaria's history, but for me, the pacing was just much too slow, and the viewpoints just flip too often. It was hard for me to get invested in the characters because I had to go back and reread. I think the author is a great writer, but this book just wasn't for me.

Historical fiction is a new genre for me, alongside mystery, and so I was essentially diving in head first when I read this book. In the beginning, I got wrapped up in the suspense that shrouded the protagonist of the novel, and that made me want to read more. It took awhile to understand the shifts between chapters because at times there would be flashbacks and they weren't always flashbacks of the protagonist but instead of an entirely different character, and the shift in point of view added to my confusion. Aside from those bumps, the story was packed full of historical tales and scenic routes that were fun to immerse in since I've never actually been to Bulgaria myself, and the tales only added to the characters we met along the way. Unfortunately, the book began to drag on and there were more slow parts than fast in the end, so it felt as if the climax took forever to get to. Of course, I can put that aside, but I was disappointed in the feeling that there were a few loose ends left, and they weren't left for a cliffhanger effect. Overall, the novel was still a very interesting read and has only made me more interested in Bulgaria and historical fiction.

Very much enjoyed this book that I am reading this authors other books.

In the Shadow Land Between the Mountains…
The Shadow Land is at once hauntingly beautiful, and deeply disturbing…it was the kind of book I wanted to devour, but could not read right before bed without risking strange dreams. Elizabeth Kostova masterfully blends the worlds of modern day Appalachia, with WWII, and post-WWII era Bulgaria…making each seem so real that you could reach out and touch the rugged mountains or feel the biting cold of a communist labor camp. She writes knowledgeably about music, art, and history, making the characters, both major and minor, truly come to life on the page. This is a book that I would highly recommend, with the caveat that getting through it is a bit of an undertaking.

Image result for male violin player gifThe Shadow Land switches back and forth between the present and past, blending the story of a gifted musician named Stoyan, who finds himself unfairly sent to a forced labor camp during Bulgaria’s communist revolution, with the present-day stories of his son Neven, an American tourist named Alexandra, and a taxi cab driver named Bobby, as they all strive to discover who is targeting Stoyan’s family in an attempt to steal his remains. The blending is done very well, with my only criticism being that at times there were so many visual details provided, that it seemed almost over-done. Personally, I  like to have some details left to my imagination; I found the over abundance of details to be so overwhelming at times, that it is the sole reason I did not give this book five stars.

Beyond that minor flaw, I have a deep appreciation for this book, because it really draws the reader in, and explores a lesser known, but very tragic aspect of post-WWII communist revolutions: life in the gulags, and how arbitrarily people were classified as enemies of the state. It explores how human beings process personal tragedy and heart ache, and what we do to survive in the face of bitter adversity and insurmountable odds. Because Kostova sees Bulgaria as an adoptive homeland, she does an excellent job of bringing to life the various types of people one would find there when traveling abroad, and is very sensitive to the legacy of the damages done by the communist regime. For those who love historical fiction, or who thirst for books that will prompt deep and introspective thinking, this is a book that cannot be missed. Just don’t read it before bed if you want to sleep soundly!