City of Thieves

Description

Four months into the siege of Leningrad, the city is starving. Seventeen-year-old Lev fears for his life when he is arrested for looting the body of a dead German paratrooper, while his charismatic cellmate Kolya, a handsome young soldier arrested for desertion, seems bizarrely unafraid. Dawn brings, instead of the execution squad, an impossible challenge. Lev and Kolya can find a dozen eggs for an NKVD colonel to use for his daughter's wedding cake, and live. Or fail, and die. In the depths of the coldest winter in history, through a city cut off from all supplies and suffering appalling deprivation, man and boy embark on an absurd hunt. Their search will take them through desolate, lawless Leningrad and the devastated countryside surrounding it, in the captivating journey of two men trying to survive against desperate odds.

David Benioff has published articles and stories in GQ, SEVENTEEN and ZOETROPE. Born and raised in New York City, he now lives in Los Angeles.

Complex and compelling . . . a thought-provoking novel that leaves its own lingering, haunting presence in the reader's imagination - Waterstones Books Quarterly This gut-churning thriller will sweep you along and, with any luck, propel Benioff into bestseller land - Kirkus - starred review Told with compelling power - Sunday Telegraph Expert tone . . . fine sense of pace. - Financial Times A hard-to-put-down novel . . . Benioff blends tense adventure, a bittersweet coming-of-age and an oddly touching buddy narrative to craft a smart crowd-pleaser - Publisher's Weekly