Review: Salt the Snow

Review at a Glance

• Title: Salt the Snow
• My Rating: 4.25
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Format: ARC*
• Publication Date: February 4, 2020
• Author: Carrie Callaghan

Similar To

From Carrie Callaghan, author of the critically acclaimed A Light of Her Own, comes a story of the trailblazing and liberated Milly Bennett, based on the life of one of the first female war correspondents whose work has been all but lost to history. American journalist Milly Bennett has covered murders in San Francisco, fires in Hawaii, and a civil war in China, but 1930s Moscow presents her greatest challenge yet.

When her young Russian husband is suddenly arrested by the secret police, Milly tries to get him released. But his arrest reveals both painful secrets about her marriage and hard truths about the Soviet state she has been working to serve. Disillusioned, and pulled toward the front lines of a captivating new conflict, Milly must find a way to do the right thing for her husband, her conscience, and her heart.

My Thoughts

First, a confession. I know nothing about Russian history other than what is written in Anna Karenina. I know even less about the first female investigative journalists, other than what was shown in Hemingway & Gellhorn.

As an aside, if you haven’t seen Hemingway & Gellhorn you really, really should. It’s fabulous. Then again, Nicole Kidman is a remarkable actress, so it’s not a surprise.

Anyway, Salt the Snow is the perfect book to start y understanding of this place and time.

Carrie Callaghan really details the daily lives of people living in Russia before the second world war. It’s almost stunning the amount of detail she provides while weaving a beautiful story.

I particularly loved the emotional journey Milly goes on, not just with her husband, but with herself. She begins the book as a naive expatriot, coming to Russian believe the promises of communism. People often wonder how communism could have spread so far and wide, but the truth is the promises of the communist party spoke to people during a very difficult time.

Milly gets to Russia and believes whole heartedly in the Soviet government. As the book progresses, you can see Milly’s disillusionment with her idealism. She becomes more practical and pessimistic as the world forces her to make tough decisions, and ends up finding love while following herself.

My favorite part of reading Salt the Snow was going on a journey with Milly. I feel like I know so much more about history and about human nature. Carrie Callaghan weaves the political realities of the USSR and the Spanish Civil War into a single woman’s journey of self-discovery.

Salt the Snow is a perfect example of historical fiction that can teach you while making you feel.

*Special thanks to Carrie Callaghan, Amberjack Publishing, and Historical Fiction Book Tours for providing a copy of Salt the Snow in exchange for an honest review.