The Impossible Journey

December 16, 2002
Whelan once again brings to life the beauty, sadness and rich culture of Russia's past in this evocative sequel to Angel on the Square. Set a generation after the revolution, this installment opens in 1934 Leningrad and focuses on the children of Katya and Misha, who find themselves alone and desperate after Misha is arrested and Katya is exiled to Siberia. Thirteen-year-old narrator Marya has little hope of finding her father, but she is determined to reunite with her mother. Armed with a map torn from her schoolbook, she and her younger brother, Georgi, set off on a 1,000-mile journey north, "an impossible distance." Suspense runs high as the children, traveling without passports or adequate funds, encounter numerous obstacles as well as some surprising acts of kindness from strangers before reaching their mother's village. A frightening confrontation with a Samoyed tribe proves to be as advantageous as a chance meeting with a prison doctor, who provides a connection between the children and their father. While maintaining a delicate balance of tragic and joyful moments, the author paints a vivid, realistic picture of a newly formed communist state, where government officials have the power to turn lives upside down. The book's wistful open ending will leave readers eager for another episode. Ages 10-up.

When her parents are arrested in the middle of the night and sent to Siberia, Marya must show determination and strength beyond her 13 years as she cares for herself and Georgi, her little brother. Set in Russia in 1934, the story is a glimpse into the lives of people under Stalin's repressive leadership. Marya and Georgi fight fear, hunger, and the elements as they travel over a thousand miles of difficult terrain to join their parents. Julie Dretzin's warm, gentle voice reveals Marya's moments of fear and hopefulness as she finds kindness and treachery along the way. Georgi, brave, but also appropriately whiny, is easily distinguished. Dretzin delicately and deftly handles the Russian names and words. F.L.F. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine