Editor’s Note: I walked into a mom-and-pop bookshop in California recently. The owner asked about titles I liked, then handed me this book after some thought. It’s historical fiction drama about two young Russians caught in the siege of Leningrad (1941). (I found out later that Benioff is best known as screenwriter of “Game of Thrones”.) The story’s details can be rough at times, reflecting the true history of the siege but if you’re looking for a well-written page turner, this is it.