The Horn Book Guide

HISTORY

Anderson, M. T.

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

424 pp. | Candlewick | September, 2015 | Trade ISBN 978-0-7636-6818-1 $24.99

(2) YA This ambitious, sometimes unwieldy, work encompasses the life of composer Shostakovich, the early political history of the U.S.S.R., and the nation's suffering during WWII. Initially inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution, Shostakovich's music changed during Stalin's Reign of Terror. The centerpiece is his Leningrad Symphony, which offered both catharsis and hope. Extensive black-and-white photographs help define the wide range of subjects and settings. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015