SuitabookPower and political repression
Misha discovers that the secret police can do whatever they like, while he and his father feel unable to complain.
Loading your next page
Book details
Paul Dowswell - Author
This is a historical adventure about a teenager confronting state power, family loss and wartime upheaval. Its central tension comes from living close to privilege while discovering how fear and repression shape ordinary choices.
Russia, 1940. Fifteen year old Misha's life is about to transform when his father is offered a job in Stalin's inner circle. They move into a luxurious apartment in the Kremlin, but doubts about the glorious new Russia quickly surface. Misha realises that the secret police can do whatever they like. His own mother is arrested and sent to prison, but Misha and his father daren't complain. Then as German troops advance on Moscow, the atmosphere in the Kremlin ignites. Misha and a friend find themselves at the heart of a battle against the mighty state in this powerful evocation of one of the most turbulent places and periods of the 20th century, told by a master storyteller.
Book Brief
Sign in to see how this book fits your child and family preferences.
Sign in for personalised guidanceThis is a historical adventure about a teenager confronting state power, family loss and wartime upheaval. Its central tension comes from living close to privilege while discovering how fear and repression shape ordinary choices.
Misha discovers that the secret police can do whatever they like, while he and his father feel unable to complain.
Misha’s mother is imprisoned, while Misha and his father remain afraid to challenge the authorities.
As German troops advance on Moscow, Misha and a friend find themselves at the heart of a battle against the state.
Expect emotionally serious material involving a parent’s arrest and imprisonment, political intimidation, and approaching combat. A helpful conversation can acknowledge Misha’s fear without assuming that resistance is simple or consequence-free.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
Book information
Limited information
Anything not established here remains open; it is not being treated as absent or safe.