Book Review: Stalin’s Door by John St. Clair

Genre(s): Historical Fiction

Content warning: There are several scenes depicting torture or the results of it.

Stalin’s Door follows the intertwined stories of three people affected by the ruthless policies of Stalin’s government during the mid- to late-1930s. The secret police, or NKVD, are tasked with monitoring civilians and government officials alike. Every conversation is recorded or observed. Stalin’s paranoia is so high, a single question or off-hand remark is grounds for arrest. Most of the men arrested are executed for treason. Their families—even children—are considered guilty by association, and many are sent to the work camps in Siberia.

While I can’t claim familiarity with much of that period in history outside of World War II, I’ve always been interested to learn more. Sadly, my history classes in school tended to skip from World War I to World War II and were very focused on western European history during that time period. I don’t recall Stalin being mentioned in my high school classes until Russia entered World War II, and this book is set in the years prior to that.

This book is a work of fiction, but the author definitely did some research on the culture in Russia at the time, traditional naming conventions among families, and the history of that era. I was very grateful a glossary of terms was included at the end, as well.

The settings depicted in the book felt authentic, and the story itself was compelling. I can’t comment on the accuracy of the history depicted, as it isn’t my specialty, but I did enjoy the story (which is why I read to begin with.) It was an interesting portrayal of a period in history that is sadly glossed over in today’s school curriculum, and an important reminder of what fear is capable of doing to a nation.

If you’re into historical fiction and 1930s Russian history, check out Stalin’s Door.

Author’s Twitter handle: @uusaint

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