Book Review: The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan

This is the fourth book I've read by this author, Gloria Whelan. About two years ago, Alex and I read Mackinac Island triology which is set in Michigan during the War of 1812. We really enjoyed the book and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book I just read, The Impossible Journey, was also written by this author.

This was another story about Russia that I highly recommend. And, there is a companion book, Angel on the Square, that I've alread requested!

The book is about a sister and brother who are living in Leningrad, Russia, in 1934. Their parents are arrested and Marya, the oldest sibling, decides to take her little brother, Georgi, on a 1,000 mile journey in search of their mom. Along the way they have tough encounters and meet some fascinating people. It's an "impossible journey" and will it result in a family reunion in the end?





This book would make a GREAT unit study - topics could include the geography of Russia (you could map their travels), lemmings, the Northern Lights, the deer herders of Siberia, Stalin and the Russian Gulag, and much more! I hope to use this book (and possibly the companion book) as a study with Alex next year as we study modern history.