by Kate Quinn
First published 2022
Mila Pavlichenko divides her time between her library work and caring for her young son in 1937 Kyiv. The history student leads a quiet life until Hitler's forces invade Ukraine and Russia. She receives a rifle and joins the fight against the Nazis. Mila transforms from studious young woman to skilled marksman, earning the nickname Lady Death as she eliminates enemy soldiers. Her three hundredth confirmed kill makes her a national celebrity. The Soviet government pulls her from the eastern front battlefields and sends her to America for a propaganda tour. War injuries and personal losses leave Mila struggling in Washington's unfamiliar social world. She develops a friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt and connects with another sniper who understands her experiences. An enemy from her past emerges and partners with a new threat. Mila must confront both external dangers and her internal struggles in a final confrontation that tests everything she has learned about survival and purpose.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, action
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: America, Kyiv, Ukraine, Washington
Period: 1937, World War II
435 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war