Good Read

Lauren Molyneux reviews Orphan of the State by Ribble Valley-based author David J Robinson. The book, David’s second novel, has received rave reviews on Amazon

Orphan of the State
David J. Robinson

Inspired by the events of the Second World War, David J Robinson’s Orphan of the State tells the story of Russian orphan, Dimitri Petrov, whose parents died in a car crash when he was only a child. Raised (or conditioned) in a Russian state orphanage, Dimitri grows up with a strong allegiance to the Communist cause and becomes a Red Army soldier, risking his life on the Eastern front in the fight against Nazism.

Having fallen in love with his unlikely sweetheart – bright-witted and strong-minded Moscow ballerina, Ava, before joining the front line, Dimitri hopes that his love will be waiting for him on his return. But his journey will force him to face much more than death, war and the enemy.

We’re aligned with Dimitri from the offset, who, through his diary, takes us on a journey through a troubling time in a not-so-distant past. Musing on the philosophy of politics and war, and remembering the warmth of his sweetheart, his diary captures the psychology of a WWII Russian soldier facing the terrors of combat whilst trying to come to terms with his past in order to discover who he truly is.

With Ava’s probing questions into the death of his parents burying a seed of doubt in his mind, Dimitri endures the trauma of war whilst reflecting on his childhood and his beloved Russia. After he’s begun to raise questions within himself about power, corruption and the fine line between right and wrong, he soon faces an identity crisis in which he contemplates his own politics, beliefs, morals and character.

Historical novel, political narrative and love story, Robinson’s second novel, Orphan of the State, is a narrative driven by binaries – life and death, love and war – which Robinson balances beautifully. Obviously very well researched, the novel is skilfully put together, presenting identifiable characters with real emotions, who we can sympathise with. Despite them existing at different points in time, on different continents and with varying levels of understanding and knowledge about the war, Robinson draws their plotlines together into a cohesive structure to ultimately deliver a novel which is a pleasure to read.

David J. Robinson is a local author, raised in the popular King Edward VII pub in the rural village of Guide. Orphan of the State is his second novel, currently available to purchase through Amazon, where it has received excellent reviews. David has been spending time throughout lockdown to map out and write his third book.

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