Publisher and Publication Date: Amberjack Publishing. February 4, 2020.
Genre: Historical fiction.
Pages: 304.
Source: I received a complimentary paperback copy, but was not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Readers of historical fiction. Readers who’d enjoy a female expatriate living in the former Soviet Union during the 1930s.
Rating: Good-the last part of the book was the decider.

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
The landing page for the book tour: https://www.hfvirtualbooktours.com/saltthesnowblogtour/

Amazon link

Author Information:
Carrie Callaghan is a writer living in Maryland with her spouse, two young children, and two ridiculous cats. Her short fiction has appeared in Weave Magazine, The MacGuffin, Silk Road, Floodwall, and elsewhere. Carrie is also an editor and contributor with the Washington Independent Review of Books. She has a Master’s of Arts in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For more information, please visit Carrie Callaghan’s website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Praise:
“The vivid prose of Salt the Snow sets the reader in the middle of socioeconomic upheavals and political unrest with the best possible tour guide, wisecracking American journalist Milly Bennett. Callaghan excels at bringing little-known real-life women out of the darkness of historical obscurity and into the light of recognition. From the first scene, the reader is plunged into a world of suspense and intrigue, led by an unforgettable protagonist. Milly is not so much a character as a fully realized, complex human being: her brilliance and self-sufficiency are admirable, and her loneliness and feelings of unworthiness are heartbreaking. A fascinating novel!” —Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice
“A vivid, well-researched story of a complex and ahead-of-her-time woman, an American journalist, who finds herself—head and heart—while living and working in an equally complex Russia.” —Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie
“Salt the Snow is a vivid journey through the kaleidoscope of 1930s Europe with an irrepressible and all too human guide in Milly Bennett. Don’t miss this book and its unforgettable heroine!” —Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Half-Drowned King and The Golden Wolf
“Honest, vivid, and bold in the face of historical truths, Salt the Snow is a captivating story of a woman whose vulnerability and hopeful idealism resonate even today.” —Jennifer Klepper, bestselling author of Unbroken Threads

This blog does not host the giveaway. I am sharing the direct link for the giveaway.
Direct link for the giveaway that ends @ 11:59 tonight-Feb 5.
Guidelines for the giveaway:
You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Summary:
American journalist Milly Bennett has covered murders in San Francisco, fires in Hawaii, and a civil war in China, but 1930s Moscow presents her greatest challenge yet. When her young Russian husband is suddenly arrested by the secret police, Milly tries to get him released. But his arrest reveals both painful secrets about her marriage and hard truths about the Soviet state she has been working to serve. Disillusioned and pulled toward the front lines of a captivating new conflict, Milly must find a way to do the right thing for her husband, her conscience, and her heart. Salt the Snow is a vivid and impeccably researched tale of a woman ahead of her time, searching for her true calling in life and love.

My Thoughts:
Milly Bennett is 30ish. She’s an American. She’s a world-traveler. She’s a journalist. She is independent, feisty, and assertive. Her weakness is allowing men to dominate her life. Surprising, as sharp as she is in some ways, Milly is not wise about men. She settles.
She doesn’t consider herself to be attractive. She wears men’s trousers in an era when no matter the country or weather, females wear dresses. She has curves, but she’s not happy about the way her face looks. She is a female easily persuaded by men’s flattery and tenderness. I believe that flattery and attention makes her feel better about herself. Milly is a character that I have only a little bit of empathy for. She should know better by her 30s to not get mixed up quickly with men who come on really fast (they want a permanent relationship.) It’s a strong possibility they are using her. Awe, if we all had hindsight!
Milly is a character that I don’t care either way what she chooses, because she has shown to choose the same pattern. It makes me want to lay the book down and walk away, because I see the same thing happening on and on.
The book moves back and forth in time. At least the times are in the 1930s.
Salt The Snow showed me what life was like in the former Soviet Union during the 1930s. It was a scary time for the people who lived there. It was an era of police action against anything they were intolerant to. And, just like that you were beat-up, murdered, or sent far away like Siberia. I enjoyed learning about this aspect, because I have a better understanding.
This is a sad story. I wanted her to be a heroine. She had opportunities to write great journalist stories while in Russia; instead, she chose to put her energy in a troubled relationship.
A final point about this book, the last part of it is the best.
I enjoyed reading the author’s notes about the real person behind Milly. Her name was Mildred “Milly” Jacqueline Bremler.