I am the ideal target reader for this book, and I liked the premise, but I had such a hard time getting into the story.

Rating: 4.2/5 Stars

The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders follows Russian sniper and translator, Elena Bruskina, during the second world war. The novel is written as a dual timeline story. One timeline follows Elena through her life in the Minsk ghetto as a Russian woman of Jewish descent. After losing her family to the various cruelties inflicted by the Nazis, Elena joins the Central Women’s Sniper Training School to avenge their death’s at the hands of fascists. She meets many incredible women in training who become friends.
The second timeline follows Elena as she becomes a German translator for the Russians as they search for Hitler as Berlin falls to the Russian army. Has Hitler escaped? Is he hiding? Is the dead?
While this novel is a work of historical fiction, it is based on very real female Russian snipers. Shelly includes a quote from a publication, radio broadcast, or diary before the start of every chapter. I felt that this inclusion really allowed the reader to stay connected to the fact that the story is based on actual occurrences. I certainly enjoyed the perspective of a Russian women at the end of World War II, a perspective that I had very little knowledge about. I also had not considered the urgency to find Adolf Hitler at the end of the war to determine if he was dead or operating from a new, remote location.
The writing style of this novel was very Hemingway-esque. It was direct and clinically portrayed the horrors that Elena experiences in her travels. The author does not romanticize or avoid descriptions of the atrocities that occurred around Elena. I, personally, found the writing style to be wonderful in portrayal of wartimes. I also found Elena’s story to be a refreshing, not oft explored perspective to the second world war. This novel was fascinating and inspired me to delve further into research into female Russian snipers who defied social norms to make an enormous impact in the defeat of fascism.

Another well written historical fiction book about a WWII topic that isn't discussed enough!

The story follows a Jewish university student in the early 1940s. Her family is forced to live in the Minsk ghetto. She manages to escape and enrolls at a woman's sniper school. She wants to get revenge on those who have brought her so much loss. The story brings to light the real life platoon of all female snipers. Their contributions to the war are often ignored. There are a lot of historical fiction books that focus on the 1930s-1940s. This one really stands out as something different.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves historical fiction and wants to read a story they haven't heard before. The book's descriptions of life in the ghetto, life at war, and the struggle of being Jewish in the Soviet Union are incredibly well done. Overall, this is a great book and worth the read.

The Night Sparrow was inspired by the diaries of real female snipers and interpreters who served as part of the Red Army in WWII.

Elena Burskina is a young Jewish woman attending university. When the Nazis invade, she and her family are forced into the ghetto in Belarus where her father and brother are murdered, her sister is hung in front of her, and her mother is shot. Vowing revenge, she escapes the ghetto and goes to Moscow where she enrolls in a sniper training school. Upon completing the training program, she is stationed at the Eastern Front, but when she suffers and injury, she is transferred and becomes a German translator for the Red Army, soon finding herself to be a part of one of the biggest secret missions of all time!

This story is not butterflies and rainbows. With its very true to life depictions of the front lines, this book is a realistic look at what it was like for women involved in the war. The author does not hold back, and the reader is forced to take a hard look at the atrocities of war and the violence and vile tactics used including at one point, the admission of what reward was given to people for every Jew killed.

Author Shelly Sanders highlights the strength and courage of the female soldiers, not just in the face of danger but in the way they are treated by their male counterparts being called “front line wives,” the sexual abuse they endured and the cruelty from civilians calling them “war whores.”
Despite the harsh realities and loss depicted on the pages, this book is also about hope, strength, resilience and the ability to persevere through the hardest of times.

For those who require trigger warnings, there is violence and the mention of rape.

A big thank you to Harper Audio for the audio version. The narrator Gilli Messer and the audio production team did a wonderful job bringing this important story to life.

Title: The Night Sparrow
Author: Shelly Sanders
Narrated by: Gilli Messer
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Length: Approximately10 hours and 26 minutes
Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of physical book copy of The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders. Thank-you to NetGalley for the audiobook and e-book review copies.

What genres that you are looking forward to reading this year? I am enjoying reading lots of historical fiction.

Elena Bruskina is a university student studying German in the Soviet Union when it is invaded by Nazis. She is Jewish and she and her family are forced into the Minsk ghetto. After her family is killed, she escapes and vows to get revenge. She joins an all-female sniper unit in Moscow. She eventually also becomes redeployed as German translator searching for Hitler. Will Elena make it through the war, and will she make a difference?

My thoughts on this novel:
• Author Shelly Sanders used facts from real life Soviet women snipers and interpreters to write the story. Each chapter starts with a real quote from the women that served.

• This story really showed the horrors of war.

• It was disturbing to learn about “front line wives” where Soviet soldiers would pick a woman to be their front-line wife even if they didn’t want to be. These women were ostracized when they returned home.

• Soviets were the first to discover the Eagle’s Nest. Elena is there to witness the horrors and to help prove that Hitler is indeed dead.

• There were unique difficulties as Elena is Jewish and witnesses the murder of her family and other Jews because of their Jewish heritage. The Soviets didn’t identify groups there were as denial that the Nazis were targeting and killing Jews.

• The book tries to walk a fine line to say that Elena understands that the actions that the Soviet government takes towards its people and that Soviet soldiers take on German citizens are not ethical or good.

• I’m not sure about the time shifts in this novel. The narrative centered on one person, Elena, but it told the story through showing different points of time during the war. It would flash from the ending of the war to the beginning when Elena was first training. I don’t think this added to the story. It made things more confusing. I would have liked it better if the story was just told straight through from the beginning of the war to the end. To be honest, it made me not care as much about some of the other characters as I knew they would die. This may have been more confusing listening to the audiobook versus reading the physical book.

• There is a great detailed author’s note at the end of the novel as well as a very thorough bibliography.

• The audiobook narrator was engaging.

Overall, The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders is an intriguing historical fiction novel that focuses on the little-known story of female Soviet snippers and interpreters.

Synopsis: University student, Elena, sees her world upended by the invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII and joins the Central Women’s Sniper Training School in Moscow.

Thoughts: This is definitely a compelling and raw story of a woman turning her grief into strength during the horrors of war. It is not an easy or comfortable read, but I felt like it gave a very real insight into the daily lives of women during this time period. This book was clearly well researched. The audio narration was very well done as well.

Read this if you like:
🐦‍⬛ historical fiction
🐦‍⬛ WWII
🐦‍⬛ inspired by true events
🐦‍⬛ strong FMC

This was a very difficult read, to say the least.
It is said that it was inspired by actual Soviet Women who WERE snipers and who held some pretty prestigious positions in the War (WWII). Although, they have not been recognized as being snipers or being a part of the war.
Also, it is difficult to read, as many before have been, as they are describing the death, especially of loved ones, at the hands of the wicked. Those in power.
Additionally, this one brought up the fact of 'wives on the frontline', unfortunately NOT meaning what you might think, but instead meaning that these horrible men 'claimed' certain woman to 'live with them' and do as they please with them.

All that being said, it was quite a story, and one that should be out there in the world for all to read. But, getting through some of the harsh scenes above should also be noted, as many have things that might trigger them, and although I do NOT have these triggers, they brought up some very unhealthy vibes for me.

Beautiful outlook on friendships during difficult times, and doing what needs to be done, even when you feel like you have nothing left…

And, how one woman can make a difference in so many others lives…

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheNightSparrow by #ShellySanders and narrated nicely by #GilliMesser.

*** RELEASE DATE IS JULY 1, 2025 !! *** SO LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES SOON!!!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperAudioAdult and #HarperPerennial for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

After losing her entire family to the Nazi invasion and life in the Minsk ghetto, Elena Bruskina escapes and joins the Red Army’s elite Central Women’s Sniper Training School. There, she becomes part of a courageous all-female sniper platoon fighting to defend their country. Chosen for a top-secret mission to capture Hitler, Elena’s story is one of resilience, vengeance, and sacrifice, inspired by real women of the Red Army. This was a beautiful, tragic story! I love WW II fiction and this was written so well. Women are amazing!

My favorite genre is historical fiction, especially those set during World War I and World War II, and The Night Sparrow didn't disappoint. I was very intrigued about the female snipers during wartime because that isn't something I've read much about in my many years of reading historical fiction. (The only other book that comes to mind is Kate Quinn's The Diamond Eye, which I LOVED). This book is quite darker and more graphic than what I'm used to reading in historical fiction, but I love that the author didn't shy away from the facts and the horrors and complexities of war. If you love stories about strong heroines, then I truly believe you will enjoy reading this book, and overall I would highly recommend The Night Sparrow to everyone.

I found this to be a very interesting look of the female snipers lives while in the red army during WWII. Sanders provided multiple timelines within the war of one particular woman, who was also Jewish, that allowed a very unique insight. Of course there are tough moments to read about but that comes with any novel set during war.

I did a combo of formats and the audio was done well.

Thanks to HarperAudio for the alc and Harper Perennial for the #gifted arc!

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 & 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟯.𝟳𝟱⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝟬

The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders is a powerful story about women snipers in WWII. We follow Elena Bruskina as she loses her family to the Nazi’s but she is determined to fight for vengeance. We follow her story through joining the all female sniper platoon and her secret mission as a translator. This story was a like on the graphic side for me but it really portrayed what happens in war. This was a fast-paced story that focused on friendships, courage, and resilience that Elena Bruskina had during WWII.

**ARC Review: *The Night Sparrow***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*The Night Sparrow* is a compelling and powerful work of historical fiction that sheds light on a lesser-known part of World War II: the Soviet women assassins who fought against the Nazis. These women, highly trained and incredibly skilled, were responsible for over 11,000 confirmed kills—a fact that in itself is staggering and brought to life with haunting precision in this book.

What I found most intriguing was the transformation each woman underwent, especially Elaine, whose personal journey from civilian to sniper was raw, emotional, and deeply human. Her inner turmoil over her first kill and the psychological toll of war felt incredibly real and relatable. It’s easy to imagine ourselves in her shoes, facing impossible decisions under unthinkable pressure.

The novel doesn’t shy away from the darker complexities of the Soviet regime either. The portrayal of Joseph Stalin and the atrocities committed under the banner of anti-fascism adds another layer of moral conflict to the story. The duality of fighting evil while being under the thumb of another oppressive system is handled with nuance and care.

I also found the author's note particularly fascinating—it provided essential historical context and made it clear just how much research and respect went into portraying these women’s stories. It gave the novel an even deeper impact, showing how fiction can illuminate real history that too often goes untold.

Overall, *The Night Sparrow* is an unforgettable tribute to the strength, resilience, and sacrifice of women in wartime. A must-read for fans of WWII fiction, feminist history, and character driven narratives.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc audiobook.

A different view of WWII than I have read before. Shelly Sanders lays out some of the less than decent side of being a female in war.

Inspired by real female snipers and interpreters who worked in the Red Army during World War II, The Night Sparrow is a portrait of friendship, resilience and courage under extraordinary circumstances.

In 1941, Elena Bruskina, an ambitious university student, sees her world collapse when the Nazis invade the Soviet Union. She and her Jewish family are forced into the Minsk ghetto, where thousands are immediately murdered, including her father and her brother. When her younger sister is hanged because of false charges and her mother is shot, Elena escapes the ghetto, determined to avenge the killing of her family members.

In 1942, the Central Women’s Sniper Training School opens in Moscow. Seeing it as the perfect opportunity to retaliate, Elena is one of the first to enroll. She becomes part of an all-female sniper platoon, a community of young women who are ready to fight for their country, despite the appalling conditions and high risks.

Eight months later, Elena is stationed at the Eastern Front, her dreams of revenge unfulfilled. Ashamed of her inferior tally of kills, she finds herself undone by grief as she watches her fellow snipers fall from enemy bullets. After being injured in a firefight, she is reluctantly redeployed as a German interpreter. Elena quickly embraces her new role when she realizes she is part of a secret mission to capture the most evil fascist of all.

Shelly Sanders’ The Night Sparrow is a powerful and inspiring story set against the brutal backdrop of World War II. Following Elena Bruskina’s harrowing journey from the Minsk ghetto to the front lines of battle, the novel vividly captures her transformation from a grieving daughter into a fierce sniper fighting for justice and vengeance. Sanders masterfully portrays Elena’s emotional turmoil, her unwavering determination, and the camaraderie among the all-female sniper platoon. The plot is fast-paced and filled with tense, adrenaline-fueled moments, especially when Elena takes on her daring secret mission. The book beautifully highlights the resilience, friendship, and sacrifices of these brave young women, inspired by real-life heroines of the war. While the story contains many intense scenes, it also offers poignant reflections on loss, hope, and the human spirit's ability to endure even the darkest times. Overall, The Night Sparrow is an engaging and heartfelt tribute to the courageous women who fought during one of history’s most tumultuous eras.