Tatiana is stuck in Leningrad in the midst of WWII with no way out. She's the kind of girl that will put everyone else before herself including the young boy on the roof fighting missiles, the young girl whose parents are too drunk to feed her, and even the boys attempting to steal her bread. She's the kind of girl that has such a big heart and finds the good within everyone no matter what. When war is announced over the radio Tatiana and Dasha's (her sister) lives are turned upside down with death knocking constantly at their door. 
 The only thing keeping Tatiana warm is her heart and love for Alexander - though Alexander is already promised to someone else. Someone whose heart Tatiana refuses to break for the sake of her own. 
 This entire book all I'm hoping is for Tatiana to find happiness and joy. She's constantly struggling with starvation, heartbreak, and the cold Soviet Union nights. Despite EVERYONE (except for Alexander) doubting her Tatiana proves that her will to live is stronger than ever. The struggle that even he puts her threw though is maddening. 
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 FUCK DIMITRI. What a twat. The fact that right as Tatiana is finally about to have her Alexander with her in America he exposes them to the NFVD. 
 & the games that Alexander played with Tatiana.....Not cool. That was a huge character flaw in my eyes for him. Like okay I'll keep screwing your sister while you fall in love with me just so I can see you everyday? What? He made up for it when he came to see her after she finally escaped BIG time, but that again was only because her sister was finally out of the picture. It really made you think that if Dasha never died on that river would Alexander and Tatiana ever have ended up together? I think not and to me that's not putting your love first and love always comes first in my eyes. 
 Tatiana on the other hand always put love first. Her love for her sister. Her love for Alexander. Her love for her family. She was such a push over just because she wanted to please so many people. She was also so strong at the same time though. Her journey through the trenches, ending up in the hospital, across the border, and everything else that she went through makes her so strong willed in my eyes. 
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