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

Author(s): M. T. Anderson

Young Adult

A 2016 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson delivers a brilliant and riveting account of the Siege of Leningrad and the role played by Russian composer Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony. In September 1941, Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht surrounded Leningrad in what was to become one of the longest and most destructive sieges in Western history—almost three years of bombardment and starvation that culminated in the harsh winter of 1943–1944. More than a million citizens perished. Survivors recall corpses littering the frozen streets, their relatives having neither the means nor the strength to bury them. Residents burned books, furniture, and floorboards to keep warm; they ate family pets and—eventually—one another to stay alive. Trapped between the Nazi invading force and the Soviet government itself was composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who would write a symphony that roused, rallied, eulogized, and commemorated his fellow citizens—the Leningrad Symphony, which came to occupy a surprising place of prominence in the eventual Allied victory. This is the true story of a city under siege: the triumph of bravery and defiance in the face of terrifying odds. It is also a look at the power—and layered meaning—of music in beleaguered lives. Symphony for the City of the Dead is a masterwork thrillingly told and impeccably researched by National Book Award–winning author M. T. Anderson.

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The storytelling is captivating, describing how Shostakovich began composing the symphony under relentless bombardment in Leningrad and later finished it in Moscow, its triumphant performance in Leningrad during the siege, and how it rallied worldwide sympathy for Russia's plight. Music is at the heart of the story. As Anderson writes in the prologue, "it is a story about the power of music and its meanings," and he communicates them with seeming effortlessness in this brilliantly written, impeccably researched tour de force. A triumphant story of bravery and defiance that will shock and inspire. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In a gripping narrative, helped along by ample photos and shockingly accurate historical details, Anderson offers readers a captivating account of a genius composer and the brutally stormy period in which he lived. Though easily accessible to teens, this fascinating, eye- opening, and arresting book will be just as appealing for adults. Booklist (starred review) This ambitious and gripping work is narrative nonfiction at its best...The book has all the intrigue of a spy thriller, recounts the horrors of living during the three year siege, and delineates the physical oppression and daunting foes within and outside of the city. This is also the story of survival against almost impossible odds. Through it all, Anderson weaves the thread of the composer s music and the role it played in this larger-than-life drama. A must-have title with broad crossover appeal School Library Journal (starred review) A fascinating...examination of an important musical figure living in a time of extraordinary political and social turmoil. Publishers Weekly It culminates in a rich and moving understanding of the intersection of culture and history, and of the power of the arts to save a nation. Shelf Awareness Accomplished novelist Anderson presents an ambitious work of nonfiction encompassing the life of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, the early political history of the U.S.S.R., and the nation s horrific suffering during WWII. The Horn Book"

M. T. Anderson is the author of "Feed, "winner of the "Los Angeles Times "Book Prize, as well as "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation Volume I: The Pox Party, "winner of the National Book Award and a "New York Times "bestseller, and its sequel, "The Kingdom on the Waves, "which was also a "New York Times "bestseller. Both volumes were also named Michael L. Printz Honor Books. M. T. Anderson lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

General Fields

  • : 9780763668181
  • : Candlewick Press
  • : Candlewick Press
  • : 0.839
  • : July 2015
  • : United States
  • : December 2015
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : illustrations
  • : 464
  • : 780.92
  • : en
  • : 1512
  • : Hardback
  • : M. T. Anderson