THE FORBIDDEN GARDEN The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice

Elliot Fitzpatrick does a good job of narrating this account of the Siege of Leningrad, 1941-44, which has a slight twist to it. This story focuses on how a small group of botanists and their assistants saved the world's largest seed bank from being consumed. The seed bank was collected by Nikolai Vavilov, who was arrested by the secret police before the war and died in custody in 1943. The scientists' devotion to duty and the circumstances they worked under were incredible. Fitzpatrick's resonant, slightly nasal British-accented baritone gives an appealing academic quality to his narration. While he often uses a British pronunciation for numerous Russian names and words, which may grate on some who are familiar with Russian, his pacing and intonation are excellent. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2025]