The Unwomanly Face of War

Extraordinary. . . it would be hard to find a book that feels more important or original. . . Alexievich's strength - and a mark of her own courage - is that she is forever on the lookout for the seemingly inconsequential, almost trivial human moments. . . Her achievement is as breathtaking as the experiences of these women are awe-inspiring

Viv Groskop, Observer

An astonishing book, harrowing and life-affirming. It deserves the widest possible readership

Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

Magnificent. . . Alexievich doesn't just hear what these women say; she cares about how they speak. . . It's a mark of her exceptional mind that she tries to retain the incomprehensible in any human story

Gaby Wood, Daily Telegraph Books of the Year

A must read

Margaret Atwood

Brilliant

Kamila Shamsie, Guardian Books of the Year

A revelation. . . Alexievich's text gives us precious details of the kind that breathe life into history . . . This is a book about emotions as much as it is about facts. It is not a historical document in the accepted sense. . . and yet ultimately, which historical documents are more important than this?

Lyuba Vinogradova, Financial Times

Astonishing. . . Her years of meticulous listening, her unobtrusiveness and her ear for the telling detail and the memorable story have made her an exceptional witness to modern times. . . This is oral history at its finest and it is also an essay on the power of memory, on what is remembered and what is forgotten

Caroline Moorehead, Guardian

These stories about the women warriors of Mother Russia are a symphony of feminine suffering and strength. . . Read this book. And then read it again

Gerard DeGroot, The Times