Lady Death

April 30, 2018
This translation of the memoirs of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the foremost female sniper in the Soviet Red Army in World War II, brings a gimlet-eyed, accomplished, and appealing figure to English-language readers. Pavlichenko fought in the early years of WWII, primarily in Ukraine and Crimea. She was the most proficient of the Red Army’s more than 2,000 female snipers, with 309 confirmed kills to her name. She was highly decorated and promoted, led her own combat platoon of male snipers, and, after a tour of the U.S. and Great Britain, served as a sniper instructor during the war’s latter years. Pavlichenko was a trained professional historian, which is reflected in the clarity of her prose and the accuracy of her descriptions. She was also an exceptional shooter; her understanding of the technology of weapons and shooting techniques is evident throughout. Finally, Pavlichenko was a young woman leading male soldiers during one of the most brutal wars in history, and her story can inform an understanding of women’s performance in combat. This illuminating memoir will interest readers seeking insights into the Soviet soldier experience, the U.S.S.R.’s relationships with its allies, and the role of women in Soviet Russia and its military—and even readers uninterested in those topics will enjoy spending time in Pavlichenko’s company.

Starred review from May 15, 2018
During WWII, Pavlichenko was the Soviet Union's top female sniper, with 309 recorded kills (accomplished in less than a year). In 1942, she was sent on a tour of the U.S. and Britain, lending her famous face and story to the effort to cement the Allied friendship. Largely unknown to Western audiences, Pavlichenko's translated memoir provides a look at the war that is wholly original and quite startling in its frankness and unique perspective. Postwar, she became a historian and drew on archival research to supplement her wartime diary when she decided decades later to write about her training, combat experiences, and how she met her husband. The couple served together in the Ukrainian woods, and he died there, in her arms, breaking her heart forever. Lady Death reads like a novel, and it is a rare war story by a patriot whose determination to fight for her country is inspiring and should firmly put to rest any doubts about women in combat. There is no question that this is a significant historical document, but it is also a gripping narrative (which includes her memories of travel in the U.S.) that devotees of history, especially WWII, should absolutely not miss.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)