The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean is an interesting combination of dealing with memory. The main character, Marina, a tour guide, has created a "memory palace" to contain the Hermitage Museum's priceless masterpieces as the German army sets siege to Leningrad in 1941. Young Marina uses her mind and memory to endure terror, horror, hunger, and death as she deals with the war.

In contemporary America, Marina, an elderly grandmother, is dealing with Alzhimer's. Her daughter has little inkling of her mother's past, as is so often the case. How many of us really understand our mother's youth and past?

This was an absorbing reading subject. I found the descriptions of the artwork delightful. Dean has a gift for this. She also gives the State Hermitage Museum website which I couldn't wait to view. How beautiful! The website:http://hermitagemuseum.org/ gives history, digital reproductions of the collections, and a walk through various rooms of the museum.

Yes, the subject of war is always difficult, but it is a reminder that war creates the tragic loss of culture, art, and history.