Open Fire

Amber Lough

A dramatic page-turner that captures the devastating toll of war and the impact of women’s struggles and solidarity, through the lens of a little-known slice of history.

In 1917, Russia is losing the war with Germany, soldiers are deserting in droves, and food shortages on the home front are pushing people to the brink of revolution. Seventeen-year-old Katya is politically conflicted, but she wants Russia to win the war. Working at a munitions factory seems like the most she can do to serve her country―until the government begins recruiting an all-female army battalion. Inspired, Katya enlists. Training with other brave women, she finds camaraderie and a deep sense of purpose. But when the women’s battalion heads to the front, Katya has to confront the horrifying realities of war. Faced with heartbreak and disillusionment, she must reevaluate her commitment and decide where she stands. 

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) This book was powerful. It’s a quick read that had me racing through it. I admire the author for writing this and bringing it to light. While it is fiction, a lot of the events happened. It starts out very strong, with a college age girl making grenades for WW2 in Russia. I admired her allegiance and beliefs and her willingness to stand up for them. When given the opportunity, she signs up for the first women’s army battalion.

I loved hearing about training and achieving so many triumphs unusual for women. I cheered right along with them. Then they are called to the front. Hearing what these women endured (even if it is fictional) was heart-wrenching but incredibly inspiring. Hearing the main character be proud of herself pulled at my heart strings.

A lot of the book had very little content. But the battle was gruesome and bloody. These women endured many hardships and trials while fighting. There is attempted rape, a few die and they are pushed to do the unthinkable. Grief is described expertly and it was easy to feel pangs of it right along with them. It was very powerful and inspiring and I’d recommend this to all history lovers or those who love strong female characters.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you #netgalley and author Amber Lough for the opportunity.

1 Comment

  1. This sounds really good! Another to add to my quickly growing historical fiction collection. Thank you! 😊

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