Chapter 24 — Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with the marksman—the professional assassin hired to disrupt the Washington conference—meeting his nervous client, Pocket Square, on a hot sidewalk near the Soviet embassy. The marksman reassures him that his plan for September 5, the final day of the conference, is in place. He dismisses Lyudmila Pavlichenko as a propaganda poster girl, not a real sniper, and predicts she will be viewed as a freak and a monster by the American public. He is counting on her to be the perfect patsy for the assassination he is planning.
The scene shifts to the Soviet embassy, where Lyudmila, delegation leader Nikolai Krasavchenko, and Lieutenant Pchelintsev face a room full of American journalists. The press conference is broadcast live on radio. Lyudmila reads a prepared statement calling for a second front, then the questions turn trivial and insulting: about her nickname, hot baths, lipstick, uniform fit, and even her underwear. Lyudmila responds with sharp wit, including a memorable retort about slapping the journalist who asked about her underwear. The room laughs, and she ends the conference abruptly.
Afterward, Eleanor Roosevelt invites the delegation to supper at the home of Mrs. Haabe. On a balcony, Lyudmila and her partner Kostia identify sniper vantage points around the city, slipping back into their tactical mindset. They also share the news that of their entire platoon, only the two of them survived the fall of Sevastopol. The grief is heavy, but they have no time to process it.
Roosevelt then offers Lyudmila a ride in her personal car, and the two women drive alone to the dinner. During the drive, Roosevelt discusses the war, the difficulties of opening a second front, and American public opinion. She advises Lyudmila that Americans need to know her personally—her family, her likes—to care about her cause. Lyudmila, initially resistant, resolves to take the advice. She ends the chapter with a quiet vow: when she takes aim at something, she does not miss.
Key Events
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The marksman meets Pocket Square and confirms his plan for September 5, using Lyudmila as a patsy.
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The Soviet delegation holds a press conference; journalists ask trivial, gendered questions.
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Lyudmila delivers sharp retorts, including a threat to slap a journalist who asks about her underwear.
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Eleanor Roosevelt invites the delegation to supper and later drives Lyudmila alone.
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On the balcony, Lyudmila and Kostia identify sniper positions and learn they are the only survivors of their platoon.
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Roosevelt advises Lyudmila to let Americans know her personally to win their support.
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Lyudmila resolves to use her time in America to advocate for a second front, vowing not to miss her opportunity.
Character Development
Lyudmila begins the chapter frustrated and angry, still reeling from the morning's White House breakfast and the pressure of representing the Soviet Union. The press conference tests her patience, but she channels her anger into sharp, effective responses, showing she can adapt to a new kind of battlefield—one of words and public perception. Her interaction with Eleanor Roosevelt marks a turning point: she moves from seeing the First Lady as an adversary to recognizing her as a potential ally. Roosevelt's advice about personal connection forces Lyudmila to reconsider her approach, and she ends the chapter with a renewed sense of purpose.
Kostia's presence is a quiet anchor. The balcony scene reveals the deep bond between the two snipers, as they instinctively assess threats and share the grief of their lost comrades. Lyudmila's internal conflict about Alexei, who has maneuvered onto the delegation as her husband, adds tension. She is wary of his motives and resentful of his presence, but she cannot escape him.
The chapter also deepens the marksman's character, showing his cold calculation and his belief that Lyudmila is a fraud. His dismissal of her as a