Svetlana Alexievich shows her competence as a journalist here and lets the memories of many men and women speak for themselves throughout this novel. Some stories are more detailed, more memorable than others. There were sections where only a sentence was given, and that sentence only a few words. Alexievich gives each narrator as much space as they want, and that is a rare thing. The full cast of readers also does an admirable job in trying to make each of these narrators distinct. Highly recommended.