Independence Square by A.D. Miller (Snowdrops) is a dynamic reimagining of the contested presidential elections that brought Ukraine to the brink of disintegration and civil war. That period, 2004-2005, known as the Orange Revolution, offers Miller an exciting backdrop for his second political drama based in the former Soviet Union.
Set alternately in Kiev and London, Independence Square tracks the fortunes of three pivotal characters whose paths cross one cold night in Kiev's Independence Square in the midst of anti-government protests. Simon Davey is a career British diplomat mediating the conflict between government supporters and the revolutionaries. Olesya Zarchenko is a young activist handpicked by Davey's colleague to be the voice of the Ukrainian people. Misha Kovrin, an unscrupulous Russian oligarch, is the power broker behind the scenes, and Davey must appease him if he hopes to achieve a peaceful resolution to the unrest.
The stakes are high as the diplomatic dance between Davey and Kovrin gets underway. Civil war must be avoided at all costs, even if it means bending some rules and ignoring others. Davey is instrumental in bringing matters to a successful conclusion, but in the process, he becomes embroiled in a devastating scandal that costs him everything: his family, job and reputation. Blaming everyone but himself, he sets out to discover who betrayed him.
Miller helpfully includes an introductory history of Ukrainian politics to set the events of Independence Square in context. With vivid imagery and an impressive cast of actors, it's a contemporary story of how power can corrupt and distort the world's fragile democracies. --Shahina Piyarali, writer and reviewer