Mother Doll is not the usual type of book I would read but I saw the synopsis and it piqued my interest and I had accepted an ARC on NetGalley. (I didn’t get around to reading it before it was published and eventually listened to the audiobook from my library instead). 
I think it was the better option for myself anyway. I probably would have struggled reading the ebook. 

The narrator is amazing! She has a distinct voice for these characters and a wonderful Russian accent. 


The story starts off with Zhenia and her husband talking crap about their friend’s decision to have kids and how great it is to have a childfree life. So of course you know what’s going to happen next.. Zhenia gets pregnant. She never wanted kids before but now she’s found that she does. Her husband hasn’t changed his mind and their relationship eventually deteriorates. 

Zhenia doesn’t have a good relationship with her own mother and they’re both very bad at communicating. She’s always been closest to her babushka and she isn’t dealing well with her grandmother’s declining health. 

One day she receives a call from a stranger who tells her that he’s been speaking with her great grandmother. Her DEAD great grandmother, Irena. Through this medium, Paul, she tells the story of her life as a teen living through the Russian revolution. 


Initially, the writing style confused me. I was so lost when the first scene with Irena was presented. But this slowly made sense, and the audio narration was very helpful. 

I liked the historical fiction aspect with the Russian revolution but I didn’t like Zhenia too much — she’s selfish and horrible at communicating.