The siege of Leningrad during World War II resulted in the deaths of over 700,000 civilians from starvation and related food scarcity, not to mention the additional deaths of soldiers who fought the Nazis in defense of the modern-day city of St. Petersburg. Within the city stood an old palace that had been converted by scientists into a laboratory that housed the world’s largest collection of seeds. This collection was put together by a team of Soviet scientists under the direction of Nikolai Vavilov, who Stalin’s government considered a dissident because of his cooperation with other scientists in the West around crop research. Vavilov was taken into custody by the NKVD (predecessor to the KGB) early in World War II, which meant the scientists would be without their leader as the Nazi siege started up in 1941.
Simon Parkin’s The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice is a gripping tale of the perseverance and dedication of these scientists to safeguard these seedlings during the siege and to ensure the collection could survive potential theft, destruction, and one of the harshest winters on record. The story of these scientists parallels what the city went through, often in graphic detail, over the winter of 1941-42 and in the balance of World War II.
The Forbidden Garden is arguably one of the best books I have read in the past year. It read very quickly and kept this reviewer captivated and wanting to turn the page. It’s a great tribute to the dedication of scientists to continue their research and ensure they do everything they can to keep their seed collection intact and to survive the war.
MY RATING: 5
