Lady of the Snakes

by: Lady of the Snakes

Published by: Harcourt Books

Reviewed by Knevits Stephens

Jane dated Billy for six years then married him. After a 24-hour labor their daughter Maisie is born. Maisie can be very demanding at times of her mother. At times Jane finds herself overwhelmed with being a mother, wife, working and trying to go after her ambitions.

Jane is a professor of the nineteenth century Russian literature by Grigory Karkov and the diaries by his wife Masha Karkov. Grigory has written 5 novels including Lady of the Snakes. She sometimes wonders if Masha is the character in Lady of the Snakes just interpreted differently than in the other novels. Jane spends all of her extra time making herself an expert at these writings. She even hires a babysitter to give her more time to work on the novels and diaries

She often finds herself comparing the world now to the nineteenth century. Some things are different and others have not changed at all. The source of heat and light has changed as well as childbirth but other things like infidelity have not changed. She finds herself being somewhat like Masha. Masha was a wife for 19 years, a mother, and taking care of the traditional household chores.

Someone has asked Jane how Masha died? It is believed that she died giving birth to her seventh child.

Even though there are a few passages, which lead us to believe she may have been depressed. Jane decides to find out the truth.

Jane stumbles across evidence about Masha and her husband Grigory Karkov. She decides to take a chance for academic stardom. She makes a mistake along the way and is dangerously close to losing her marriage and career. She wanted it all her career, marriage and to go after her ambitions. Does she have what it takes to keep it all?

This is a book of a woman who wants it all. There is a lot of literature in it. But it seems like the more you read the more you get hooked on this book. Read and see how the world has changed over the years and what is still the same.

Author’s Web site: http://www.RachelPastan.com