Castle of Concrete by Katia Raina takes us to a recent chapter of human history and pulls forth the shadows of loss that still echo into our present. Through Sonya's character, Raina personifies how voices of hope intermingle with the shadows of the past and carry forth a message for future generations. Even the strongest castle of concrete can be moved by a dove's feather of strength and courage.
Katia Raina has an innate ability to bring these characters to life and allow readers to empathize with the individuals who withstood the injustices and prejudices of their times. All in all, I found Castle of Concrete to be a stirring work that readers should add to their reading experiences along with The Diary of Anne Frank and Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill.
About the Book
Castle of Concrete
by Katia Raina
Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Young Europe Books (June 11, 2019)
Set in the final year of Soviet Russia’s collapse, this stunning debut novel tells the story of Sonya, a timid Jewish girl reuniting with her once-dissident mother and falling in love with a mysterious boy who may be an anti-Semite. All the while, Sonya’s mama is falling in love also?with shiny America, a land where differences seem to be celebrated. The place sounds amazing, but so far away. Will Sonya ever find her way there?
About Katia Raina
When she was a child, Katia Raina played at construction sites and believed in magic mirrors. She emigrated from Russia at the age of almost sixteen. A former journalist and currently a middle school English teacher in Washington, D.C., she has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family just outside of D.C., and still believes in magic.
