Author:Katie Flynn
Kay Duffield's fiancee is about to leave the country, and her own duty with the WAAF is imminent when she becomes a bride. The precious few days she spends with her new husband are quickly forgotten once she starts work as a balloon operator, trained for the heavy work in order to release more men to fight. There she makes friends with shy Emily Bevan, who has left her parents' hill farm in Wales for the first time; down-to-earth Biddy Bachelor, fresh from the horrors of the Liverpool bombing, and spirited Jo Stewart, the rebel among them, whose disregard for authority looks set to land them all in trouble. The girls stay friends through good times and bad, through romantic encounters and, ultimately, tragedy.
The first work of genius to come out of Russia since the Revolution
—— V.S. PritchettThe English-speaking world is indebted to these two magnificent translators
—— New York Review of BooksOne of the great events in man's literary and moral history
—— Edmund WilsonBelongs to that small group of novels by which all others are ultimately judged
—— Frank Kermode , SpectatorNot since Shakespeare has love been so fully, vividly, scrupulously and directly communicated
—— Isaiah Berlin , Sunday Times"Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have once again provided an outstanding translation of a major Russian novel. They capture Pasternak's 'voice' with great skill. Thanks to their sensitive rendering, those reading Doctor Zhivago in English can now get a far better sense of Pasternak's style, for they have produced an English text that conveys the nuances (along with the occasional idiosyncrasies) of Pasternak's writing. Notably as well, their version includes some phrases and sentences that inexplicably were omitted by the original translators. The text is accompanied by useful (but not overwhelming) notes in the back that provide information about many historical and cultural references that would otherwise be obscure for those coming to the novel for the first time. Without a doubt, their version will become the standard translation of the novel for years to come."
—— Barry Scherr, Mandel Family Professor of Russian, Dartmouth CollegeAs well as a gripping story, Doctor Zhivago is a work of meditation and a quiet challenge. Pasternak meant every word of it. I believe he would be pleased with the powerful fidelity of the translation now before us
—— Angela Livingstone , Times Literary SupplementAtmospheric, heart-rending and multi-layered
—— GraziaOne of the strongest authors in this genre . . . excellent historical detail, heart-wrenching romance, and an engaging mystery
—— The Historical Novel Society