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The Half Life of Valery K

THE TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

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The Half Life of Valery K

By: Natasha Pulley
Narrated by: Jot Davies
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Bloomsbury presents The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley, read by Jot Davies.

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022

The Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month

The truth must come out.

In 1963, in a Siberian gulag, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots to avoid frostbite, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life. But on one ordinary day, all that changes: Valery’s university mentor steps in and sweeps Valery from the frozen prison camp to a mysterious unnamed town hidden within a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within.

Here, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he’s expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises: what, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with bestselling author Natasha Pulley’s inimitable style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping historical adventure.©2022 Natasha Pulley (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Action & Adventure Genre Fiction Historical Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary Fiction Suspense
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Critic reviews

This clever, gripping novel is based on the true story of a nuclear research facility at Chelyabinsk, where an accident in 1957 caused acute radiation sickness in the area. Natasha Pulley’s wry, intelligent style works well to depict the Soviet world of lies and secrets, and Valery’s naive goodness is a mirror to the murky world he inhabits
An inventive, mind-bending book
High drama meets gallows humour on a foundation of the real life 1957 Kyshym disaster in Russia
History and imagination collide to stunning effect in this utterly beguiling and addictive novel. Unflinching, darkly funny, and all too easy to believe, The Half Life Of Valery K is the kind of book that haunts the reader long after the last page is turned (Erin Kelly)
Pulley adds to her impressive oeuvre with another exquisite novel. Many of the author’s trademarks are on display here: a finely-drawn period setting, a vein of dark humour, a plot blending historical fact and fiction, and a protagonist seeking to do the right thing in the face of a brutal political machine. An illuminating and immersive historical tale (Vaseem Khan)
Beautifully written and perfectly paced, this is another triumph from my favourite living author (Katie Lumsden)
Brilliantly conceived, vibrantly realized, and complexly suspenseful
Her dark humor, which turns on the blind faith given to Soviet authority figures despite their outlandish claims, combines with complex characters and a clear understanding of radiation science to yield an explosive blend. The chilling result feels all too plausible
Pulley’s impeccable prose, vivid and shot through with tenderness, lends a glint of lightness to this unsettling story
A timely insight into the Soviet regime in the 1960s, it is never bleak, but tender, elegant and so very clever ... It’s a story I won’t forget (Tor Udall)
Engrossing
Wildly inventive, full of eeriness and magic, and fiendishly intricate plots
An awe-inspiring feat of imagination and passion
Lavish world-building and breakneck plotting … Clear a weekend and let yourself be absorbed
All stars
Most relevant
Loved every part of this book.Such a sad story in many ways but the elements of hope and happiness kept me smiling. I will definitely look out the author from now on.

Absolutely brilliant

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This story felt like it had everything and the kitchen sink thrown in to keep readers interested, when truly I'd have preferred a bit more dedication to one or two of the threads. Queer romance, evil scientists, murder mystery, gulag PTSD, polonium poisoning, state secrets, Nazi medical experiments, espionage, and I'm still 4 hours from the end. It made me wish I was reading One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich, where depicting an average 24 hours in the gulag is enough to keep you riveted. (There's a reference to that book in this one, incidentally.)

The topic is well researched and taught me some interesting things about chemistry and Russian prison tattoos. I enjoyed learning about the different measurements of radiation the scientists use.

Jot Davies' perpertually surprised cadences work well with the eventful plot, and he has an impressive array of accents on show here. It's not authentically USSR but it distinguishes each character.

No Solzhenitsyn, but a good read

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I found this story really well told. I learned a lot through the medium of the story yet the narrative flows really well. Loved it.

Fascinating history brilliantly fictionised.

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I thoroughly enjoyed. Full characters and an interesting story. Full of hints towards the facts.

excellent listen

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An interesting story but the narration left a lot to be desired! Liverpudlian, midland and Irish accents were used for various characters. Some of the dialogue was over simplistic and difficult to believe. Pity.

Brummies in the gulag!

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