(no subject)

osprey_archer very kindly sent me her copy of Firebird, Elizabeth Wein's recent only-published-in-the-UK children's novel.

This is definitely the shortest and youngest Wein book I've read, which is definitely not say that it's not, uh, on the same level of grim as most of Wein's other books, seeing as it's set during Nazi invasion of Russia and the siege of St. Petersburg; lots of people die, it's just largely offscreen!

The protagonist, Nastia, is a Soviet WWII pilot accused of treason for landing behind enemy lines. Her explanation for how she got there -- and into the war to begin with -- involves a number of factors, but primarily the support of her mentor, a sardonic battleaxe of a flying instructor with a perfectly made-up face, a Mysterious Revolutionary Past, and a number of rumors constantly flying around about her, including that she secretly wears fancy French underwear.

...needless to say I am in love with Nastia's flying instructor, so it is pleasing to me that their dynamic is the most significant in the book. ( Spoilers add A TWIST )

In other news, I have now passed the book on to shati but osprey_archer assures me that its destiny is to travel the globe or at least the country, so if you would like to be its next stop, let me know!