THE RUSSIAN RIDDLE

Dunn presents a work of historical fiction about Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s obsession with a clever Mexican woman.

Ana Cortez was born in Mexico in 1914. At an early age, she developed an interest in Soviet Russia, and after she graduated from high school in 1930, she attended Harvard University to further her education on all things Russian. Upon her return to Mexico, she unexpectedly discovers that her parents have become Communists. Even more startling, they want to go to the Soviet Union to work with the Comintern. Ana travels with them, and in Moscow, the family becomes acquainted with none other than Stalin himself, who becomes enamored with Ana. Before long, however, the Cortez family learns of the true horrors of Soviet policies and desires a swift exit. Instead, Stalin arrests and personally kills Ana’s parents after her father denounces the Soviet government.Ana manages to flee to the United States and build a new life in San Marcos, Texas, but finds that she’s never quite free of Stalin’s obsession—or the knowledge of what happened to her parents. Her only option is to find a way to fight back. The story is full of intriguing details of the Soviet era; for example, Stalin’s specially made ZIS-115 limousines and the only Catholic Church in Moscow both play parts in the greater tale. The inclusion of lesser-known historical figures, such as Stalin’s murderous secret policeman Iosif Grigulevich, give the work historical depth. Some fictionalized aspects aren’t quite as stimulating, and some descriptions are bland or obvious. At one point, for instance, the reader is unnecessarily informed that Stalin “detested weakness and mistakes.” However, some of the more whimsical plot points add interest, as when a feared Russian fighter is felled quite easily in a much-promoted contest. The excitement also picks up as Ana runs toward, and not away from, the bloody quagmire of Stalin’s regime, and readers will become invested in whether she will be able to outwit one of history’s most infamous monsters, even with the help of the U.S. government.

An adventurous tale set in the early days of the Cold War.