If you stopped reading Breaking Stalin’s Nose after chapter 1, you might think Communism was a noble ideology.

Everyone shares everything. There are 48 people living in Sasha’s little apartment and only one bathroom. He is often hungry, but never complains. Good Communists learn to repress cravings for such unimportant matters as food. It’s a temporary sacrifice for the greater good. All problems will be eliminated if everyone simply obeys Comrade Stalin’s orders!

Sasha enthusiastically joins the cause. Tomorrow, he will officially become a Young Pioneer, deputized by his own father with the task of being suspicious of everything and everyone. The enemies of the people must be outed!

While practicing his entry march at school with the Communist Party banner, Sasha accidentally knocks over the plaster statue of Stalin and breaks its nose! Now what? If he confesses, he will be arrested as an enemy of the people. Blaming someone else feels wrong, but he adores Stalin and cannot bear the thought of anyone thinking he is a traitor.

He has lived in an atmosphere of suspicion for his entire life and believed it to be a good thing; now he feels suspected even though his loyalties are to the state! At both the state and on a personal level, Breaking Stalin’s Nose reveals how destructive it is to assume the worst about people and suspect ulterior motives.

The author, Eugene Yelchin, grew up in the former Soviet Union. He writes from a place of compassion and understanding for those who live in totalitarianism, and also as a warning for all people living in a free society. Written for 9-12 year olds, Breaking Stalin’s Nose is a true living book – profitable and captivating for all ages. We only wished it were longer!