A review by johndiconsiglio
Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal

3.0

Aboard a Trans-Siberian railroad, a fragile young Russian draftee is stuck in steerage with his brutal comrades & dreaming of deserting. He finds an unlikely ally in a first-class Frenchwoman who’s fleeing a past of her own. The 3rd character’s the vast Russian landscape—both spectacular & threatening—outside their window. Published in France in 2012 but just recently here, this evocative novella feels timeless. The train could as easily be carrying soldiers toward Ukraine or the German front. Warning: The $17 edition from independent publisher Archipelago Books is handsome but mini-sized. Charming—or a rip-off?