Synthetic Soviet a Novel of Bioligical Intrigue and Family Survival in a Failing System

In Synthetic Soviet, Tamara Semenova weaves a story of family and intrigue during the late Brezhnev and short Andropov years. Times were difficult with a shortage of goods as the government focused on the cold war, ignoring economic conditions. Letters from friends, children, and her grandson depict characters that resonate. Much more than a tale, the reader plummets into the morass of a failing system and its secret biological weapons development. Former son-in-law Viktor is key to development and testing of genetically modified bacteria and virus. Family and friends are indirectly involved in this development or in promoting difficult social reforms. Elena, Tamara's oldest, writes her doctoral thesis on the Soviet economy, a thesis that is not acceptable to the government. Her grandson, Nikolay, helps his father, Viktor, transport animals intended for biological experimentation. The reader suspects that Tamara's special friend, General Konstantin, is more than he portrays himself. The intrigue that develops between these people and others involved in possible restructuring and in the biological arsenal holds the reader's interest. Moore brings all of this together in the end with a highly plausible and surprising conclusion.