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backpackingbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Soviet Milk is a book I never would have stumbled across had I not been seeking out a book set in the Baltics. A friend recommended and I'm grateful she did - it ticked every box for me - character-driven narratives, historical/political insights into a time I knew little about, and writing that is so raw and poignant, you can almost feel the indentation of the words on your skin.
Neither of the female narrators is named and the book is chapter-less, which makes it difficult to grasp at first. At first, I was unsure why the mother and her daughter remained unnamed but then I read an interview with the author who explained that she wanted to generalize the characters and their stories as so many people have experienced similar feelings of confinement, loss, and liberty. To successfully write a book with anonymous characters is no easy feat, yet the author did a fantastic job of bringing their thoughts, struggles, and endurance to light through each distinct voice.
The title also plays a crucial role in this story, where milk metaphorically represents the bond between mother and daughter, both healthy and sour. It is also used to describe the temperature of the river, is referenced in the Milky Way and brings bad memories to the surface for the daughter who could never stomach having to drink milk at school. There are so many interpretations and I enjoyed unravelling each one after finishing the novel.
There is a good reason that this book won the Annual Latvian Literature Award; I'm so thankful for the English translation of such books that open our eyes to moments in history and the monumental impact they have on countless citizens, their families, and their motherland.
Rating breakdown
Neither of the female narrators is named and the book is chapter-less, which makes it difficult to grasp at first. At first, I was unsure why the mother and her daughter remained unnamed but then I read an interview with the author who explained that she wanted to generalize the characters and their stories as so many people have experienced similar feelings of confinement, loss, and liberty. To successfully write a book with anonymous characters is no easy feat, yet the author did a fantastic job of bringing their thoughts, struggles, and endurance to light through each distinct voice.
The title also plays a crucial role in this story, where milk metaphorically represents the bond between mother and daughter, both healthy and sour. It is also used to describe the temperature of the river, is referenced in the Milky Way and brings bad memories to the surface for the daughter who could never stomach having to drink milk at school. There are so many interpretations and I enjoyed unravelling each one after finishing the novel.
There is a good reason that this book won the Annual Latvian Literature Award; I'm so thankful for the English translation of such books that open our eyes to moments in history and the monumental impact they have on countless citizens, their families, and their motherland.
Rating breakdown
- Plot/narrative - 4.6
- Writing style/readability - 4.4
- Characters - 4.5
- Diverse themes - 4.7
- Ending - 4.4
Overall - 4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Medical trauma and Abandonment
clarereadstheworld's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Soviet Milk is an exploration of how the relationship between a mother and a daughter is impacted by the Soviet rule. Another beautiful translated work from @peirenepress.
This is the second book I've read recently about the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, and seeing the invasion of Ukraine by Russia makes reading these novels that much more unsettling. In Soviet Milk, a mother and daughter try desperately to succeed in leading happy lives despite the oppressive government, which dosen't allow for so much as an out of line thought.
I found the narrative a little hard to get into. The narrative voice switches between the mother and the daughter, but it wasn't initially clear who the section was focused on, and at first I found the short segments a little hard to grasp. However, I'm very glad I persevered, because once I got into it, the narrative opened up into a wonderful story of oppression and rebellion, of despair and hope, of suffering and love. The development of the characters was beautiful and tragic, but always spectacularly written.
The theme of Milk runs throughout the book and is a metaphor not just for a mother's love, but also a love of the mother land. Ikstena really captured the feeling of living under a dictatorial regime, where the walls have ears, and anyone could turn in anyone for doing anything even remotely suspicious.
The novel briefly mentions people holding hands for freedom. Upon doing some research after reading I discovered this was referring to the Baltic Way, when in August 1989, people in the Baltic states joined hands forming a human chain as a form of peaceful protest against the Soviet occupation. The chain connected the three Baltic capitals – Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, around 690km! It was a truly beautiful and moving moment in history.
This is the second book I've read recently about the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, and seeing the invasion of Ukraine by Russia makes reading these novels that much more unsettling. In Soviet Milk, a mother and daughter try desperately to succeed in leading happy lives despite the oppressive government, which dosen't allow for so much as an out of line thought.
I found the narrative a little hard to get into. The narrative voice switches between the mother and the daughter, but it wasn't initially clear who the section was focused on, and at first I found the short segments a little hard to grasp. However, I'm very glad I persevered, because once I got into it, the narrative opened up into a wonderful story of oppression and rebellion, of despair and hope, of suffering and love. The development of the characters was beautiful and tragic, but always spectacularly written.
The theme of Milk runs throughout the book and is a metaphor not just for a mother's love, but also a love of the mother land. Ikstena really captured the feeling of living under a dictatorial regime, where the walls have ears, and anyone could turn in anyone for doing anything even remotely suspicious.
The novel briefly mentions people holding hands for freedom. Upon doing some research after reading I discovered this was referring to the Baltic Way, when in August 1989, people in the Baltic states joined hands forming a human chain as a form of peaceful protest against the Soviet occupation. The chain connected the three Baltic capitals – Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, around 690km! It was a truly beautiful and moving moment in history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent