Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

In good conditions, though it has a small written name on the front page.

The Bronze Horseman is a bestselling historical fiction novel by Paullina Simons, first published in 2000. It is the first book in the Bronze Horseman Trilogy, a sweeping saga of love, war, and survival set against the backdrop of World War II Russia.

The story begins in Leningrad in the summer of 1941, just as Germany invades the Soviet Union. Seventeen-year-old Tatiana Metanova and her family are soon plunged into the horrors of the Siege of Leningrad. Their lives are further complicated when Tatiana meets Alexander Belov, a handsome and mysterious Red Army officer.

Tatiana and Alexander's intense and forbidden love story unfolds amid the immense suffering of the siege, which brings starvation, bombings, and the constant threat of death to the city. Their relationship faces numerous obstacles, including the disapproval of their families, the jealousy of Tatiana's older sister Dasha, and Alexander's dangerous, secretive past. Their impossible love becomes their anchor, providing strength and hope in the darkest of times.