January 2025 Indie Book Review

Stalin’s Door by John St. Clair

When 1984 Happened in Russia, Circa 1937
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 Stars

Before the oppressive Stalin regime’s paranoia adversely affects our main characters, we hear a young girl’s wish for enemies of the state:  “I hoped that they were all caught & put on a path to reform—and quickly.”  Soon her commonsense understandings of the masses—seamstresses, bakers, shopkeepers, laborers & tradesmen—and the sheer numbers of those vanished folks raises doubts about the abductions:  Surely those average people posed no threat to Comrade Stalin.  Eventually, the secret police come for Zhenya’s father… and mother… and her too.

There’re many wise sayings in Stalin’s Door, such as:  “Ah, if only youth would know, if only old age were able.”  All these simple, everyday heroes portray humane conscientiousness to the Nth degree (none would snitch on a neighbor for any advantage or reward) & a mind over matter attitude.  That tightly clutched stance or perpetually applicable message, though not guaranteeing survival, at least, fosters redemption.  But, in nearly 90 years, how far has society leaned away from the A. torture for (false) confessions, B. spin this (fake) news against others, C. arrest them too & D. begin all over again with interrogation cycle?  Probably not far enough given rampant disinformation on social media (part B).

Selected, non-spoiler points of impact:  Such a consternating, inescapable 180-degree twist of fate for Zhenya.  The weighty, pivotal moment where Sava opens Stalin’s door.  An appreciation for how essential, wonderful & majestic nature is in descriptions of Siberia’s primeval forest.  Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the elderly blind chess master… what a genius!