The Secret History of Moscow

The Secret History of Moscow (2007) Ekaterina Sedia

I both enjoyed this book and found it frustrating.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which drew heavily upon Russian folklore. However, at times the writing bothered me. Some of the descriptive prose was phrased in ways that took me a moment to parse, and in the moment threw me out of the story.

But mostly I really enjoyed the story. I’m a huge fan of folklore, and I loved seeing characters from Russian mythology and folklore appear: Rusalka, Father Frost, Koschey the Deathless. (Now I want to go back and read my books on Russian folk and fairy tales.)

Galina, Yakov, and Fyodor are residents of Moscow, each unhappy with their lives in their own way. All three are drawn together when they discover that all over Moscow people are disappearing–and are being turned into birds: jackdaws, crows, owls. Their search for the missing people leads them to discover the underground–a world that exists beneath–or perhaps parallel–to the modern world, and where those who are lost or no longer accepted, be they gods or mere humans, can go.

Initially, I found the end of the story dissatisfying–it didn’t seem quite fair. But after thinking about things for awhile, I decided that the ending was both appropriate and satisfying, but it did take some getting used to.

If you are a fan of folk and fairy tales, then you will definitely want to read The Secret History of Moscow. Although it has its weaknesses, the story within the covers more than makes up for them.
Rating: 7/10

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