City of Thieves, the book

In the new and improved Markham's Behavioral Health blog, there will continue to be articles on what I call "psychotherapeutic humanities". Psychotherapeutic humanities will consist of book, movie, and other art reviews that may inform psychotherapeutic practice.



City Of Thieves by David Benioff (see carousel on side bar) is a dark, comedic, coming of age tale about two charaters Lev and Koyola who are charged by a Russian Army Colonel with finding a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding cake during the seige of Leningrad during World War II.

Lev is the pessimistic orphan of about 17 who is teamed up with Koyola the Red Army deserter in his early 20s who is the eternal optimist. This unlikely pairing is the basis for a tale of survival in a time of war when the brutality and savagery of human beings is described in all its lurid detail.

The creative tension of the novel is fashioned out of the unlikely friendship that Lev and Koyola forge and their ability to cope with extremely harsh and difficult circumstances.

Koyola is a character I will never forget and found very inspiring in the circumstances of horrendous deprivation and suffering.

I highly recommend City Of Thieves.