Official Review: I Never Met My Mother (Trilogy, True Sto...

Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 09 Jan 2020, 14:25

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "I Never Met My Mother (Trilogy, True Story dedicated abused children.)" by Zhanna Sosensky.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Zhanna Sosensky was born in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and into the wrong family. The place was the Soviet Union; the time was 1941, only a few days after the German invasion began; the family consisted of a dying mother, a tyrannical and abusive father, and two quarrelsome older sisters. Her memoir, I Never Met My Mother, details the challenges she overcame in dealing with her dysfunctional family, coping with postwar shortages of essentials, and – most difficult of all – navigating her way through a society in which every detail of daily life was surveilled and controlled by the Communist Party.

Determined to build a better life away from her abusive family, Zhanna left school at 14 to work at a sausage factory. A quick learner, she helped to improve processing procedures, receiving awards and a better salary. As her skills in building relationships improved, she moved on to much better positions at Gosplan USSR, the central planning institution for the entire country.

Better jobs with higher salaries allowed Zhanna to socialize with friends, attending concerts and hosting dinner parties. But she continued to take night classes toward her most important goal, a university degree, even after marrying and giving birth to a son. When Zhanna finally received her diploma, she and her husband decided to seize a new opportunity and emigrate to America with their seven-year-old son, bringing their life in the USSR to an end.

I Never Met My Mother paints a revealing and appalling picture of life in the Soviet Union during the Cold War years. Extreme food shortages led to long lines whenever there was any food available to purchase, and deaths from starvation were common. Housing was in equally short supply. As many as eleven families might share an apartment or small house, sometimes without heat, hot water, or indoor plumbing. The complete absence of birth control, causing many women to have multiple abortions, would horrify most modern women.

Equally revealing of daily life in the USSR are the book's frequent descriptions of the stratagems Janna – and most other Soviet citizens – employed to cope with bureaucratic rules, a complex system of record keeping, and constant surveillance. For example, when the elderly woman who rented the bed in her tiny room to Janna was accused of illegal subletting, Janna told the police that her friend was lonely, had invited her to stay just for the companionship, and had not asked for any payment. Janna also acquired a few nice outfits by placing orders with Gosplan employees who occasionally traveled outside the USSR. And she learned to bring a gift of expensive chocolates for the record keepers when requesting personal documents.

I Never Met My Mother has earned 4 out of 4 stars for its fascinating revelations about life in the Soviet Union and its superb portrayal of a woman who forged a path to success and happiness in the face of extreme adversity. The narration flows smoothly, and the sequence of events is easy to follow. The book is also well edited, with only a few minor typos that do not cause any problems. Readers who appreciate unusual personal stories or who have an interest in Russian history will be certain to enjoy this book.

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I Never Met My Mother (Trilogy, True Story dedicated abused children.)
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mosekim · Post by **mosekim** » 17 Jan 2020, 07:55

Any book that carries personal stories and the USSR activities during the Cold war is actually my kind of book. You made the review so simple. I could almost think I had began reading the book proper. Good one!

AvidBibliophile · Post by **AvidBibliophile** » 17 Jan 2020, 19:08

Oh gosh, what a difficult world to instantaneously find yourself born into. Struggling families and evaporating jobs, hardship after hardship, and oftentimes, little hope for a better future. Souls in those days faced some truly insurmountable odds and yet persevered onwards just the same. Thank you for a lovely review!

Roger Glasgow · Post by **Julius_** » 19 Jan 2020, 00:57

An emotional story about the cold war day, with attached it's challenges. It's sad that she had to leave school at 14. Thanks for the review.

gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 20 Jan 2020, 19:33

This one sounds absolutely amazing; I am not familiar with Russian history, and the bit about having too many abortions is honestly a bit scary, but still an issue of importance. Thanks for the insightful review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 21 Jan 2020, 20:25

I've been interested in the Soviet Union during this time period. This sounds like a good way to learn more. The author's life sounds tough, but it seems like she made the best she could out of it. Thanks!

Snowflake · Post by **Snowflake** » 22 Jan 2020, 09:26

Thanks for your thoughtful review. I had looked at this book but didn't get past the title. I am much more interested now that I know more about the book. It sounds like a clear and insightful look at a challenging time in history, in particular, in Russia.

Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 22 Jan 2020, 13:08

Snowflake wrote: ↑22 Jan 2020, 09:26 Thanks for your thoughtful review. I had looked at this book but didn't get past the title. I am much more interested now that I know more about the book. It sounds like a clear and insightful look at a challenging time in history, in particular, in Russia.

Thanks for commenting. The title of this book and especially the subtitle are rather misleading, but it's a fascinating read.

Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 22 Jan 2020, 13:10

kandscreeley wrote: ↑21 Jan 2020, 20:25 I've been interested in the Soviet Union during this time period. This sounds like a good way to learn more. The author's life sounds tough, but it seems like she made the best she could out of it. Thanks!

Thanks for commenting. I hope you have the opportunity to read the book. It's amazing what the author survived.

Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 22 Jan 2020, 13:15

gen_g wrote: ↑20 Jan 2020, 19:33 This one sounds absolutely amazing; I am not familiar with Russian history, and the bit about having too many abortions is honestly a bit scary, but still an issue of importance. Thanks for the insightful review!

Thanks for commenting. Using abortions as birth control gave me the shivers too. And the techniques back then were so poor that some women became sterile after the first one.

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 23 Jan 2020, 14:56

Dysfunctional families are hard to live with in the best times, yet Zhanna faces this challenge on top of German invasion and other appalling conditions. Her story sounds like a true story of triumph in the face of terrible odds. Loved your review!

inaramid · Post by **inaramid** » 24 Jan 2020, 06:12

I have yet to read a book that handles this subject matter. This sounds perfect! And what a well-rounded review as well. Thank you for the recommendation.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 24 Jan 2020, 10:52

What a difficult time for the author to live in Russia! Her history sounds fascinating, and I think I would enjoy this book. Thanks for the well-written and interesting review!

AntonelaMaria · Post by **AntonelaMaria** » 24 Jan 2020, 12:32

This book promises an emotional and heartbreaking story even from the title. The plotline is rather fascinating a story of perseverance. Amazing job with the review!

Juliet+1 · Post by **Juliet+1** » 25 Jan 2020, 20:50

Everydayadventure15 wrote: ↑23 Jan 2020, 14:56 Dysfunctional families are hard to live with in the best times, yet Zhanna faces this challenge on top of German invasion and other appalling conditions. Her story sounds like a true story of triumph in the face of terrible odds. Loved your review!

Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate your stopping by to leave a comment.