Simon Sebag Montefiore is most renowned for his historical works on Stalin and Soviet Russia, but he has made a seamless transition in to the world of fiction with his new novel, One Night in Winter. The sumptuousness of elite Soviet lifestyle, the terror and torture of the regime’s security forces and prison system, the desperately passionate love affairs of those willing to sacrifice their Communist personas and, ultimately, the omniscient clutches of Stalin’s totalitarian regime are portrayed in this gripping and elaborate tale.

The book centres around ‘The Children’s Case’, brought about when a group of melodramatic teenagers form The Fatal Romantics Club in order to secretly declare their devotion to love and poetry and, as the name portends, two members are killed in a shooting incident when attempting to re-enact the dual scene from Pushkin’s poem, Eugene Onegin. However, what makes the legal case of increased importance is that the children all belong to members of the Soviet elite. The case spirals in to an all-encompassing witch hunt, with children as young as six being arrested and The Fatal Romantics Club being charged as an attempt to overthrow the Soviet government. The significance of the case soon concerns the government at large, and many careers, families and lives are put at stake.

Although a fictitious story, ‘The Children’s Case’ is inspired by a similar case in 1943, and many of the other characters are inspired by real people. Of course the major historical characters, such as Stalin himself, are retained and portrayed with meticulous realism. A basic knowledge of the Soviet regime would be helpful in reading this book and truly understanding its intricacies but it’s certainly not necessary. The main story and the novel’s main message, are outside the realm of the Soviet political system, and are more centred on love, passion and family affairs than political intrigue.

The story contains a vast array of characters which compromised some of the depth of personality that could have been achieved with a smaller selection. Satinov or the ‘Iron Commissar’ was movingly portrayed as the self-regimented political giant with a secret yearning for passion and love, the other main protagonist however, the young and beautiful Serafima, lacked any depth or conviction. Similarly, Andrei Kurbsky, the son of an ‘Enemy of State’ fighting to maintain his position in the prestigious School 801 and in Moscow itself, was largely neglected throughout most of the novel, although an alternative perspective to that of the privileged and pampered would have brought an extra dimension to the story.

Despite some of the flaws in the use of characters, One Night in Winter is an utterly compelling and gripping tale which will draw you in to a society full of devastating sacrifices and brutal consequences. The perfect combination of romantic drama and historical realism, the tale is riveting from dramatic beginning to heartbreaking and mournful end.

Jessica Murray

Photo: Property of simonsebagmontefiore.com