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Front cover images: Historical Steam Train in Snow © Jaroslaw Blaminsky, Trevillion Images; Beautiful Woman with Fur Hat © Media Trading Ltd., istockphoto.com

Back cover images: Morse Code & Telegraph © Montes-Bradley, istockphoto.com

Cover design by Julie Olson

Published by Covenant Communications, Inc.

American Fork, Utah

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format or in any medium without the written permission of the publisher, Covenant Communications, Inc., PO Box 416, American Fork, UT 84003. The views expressed within this work are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Covenant Communications, Inc., or any other entity.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, places, and dialogue are either products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real, or are used fictitiously.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Name: A. L. Sowards

Title: A Waltz with Traitors / A. L. Sowards

Description: American Fork, UT : Covenant Communications, Inc. [2023]

Identifiers: Library of Congress Control Number 2022941840 | ISBN: 978-1-52442-114-4

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022941840

Praise for A. L. Sowards

“A Waltz With Traitors by A. L. Sowards is different from anything I have read so far. I loved meeting these characters and seeing this time in history from a different perspective! I had not heard of the Czechoslovak Legion before reading this book, and seeing a bit of their outlook on the events of the war and their journey to independence in this setting was both enlightening and fascinating! I loved Filip and Nadia from the moment they met, but I quickly fell in love with so many of these characters, and from the opening pages, I knew I had found something special! This book is an emotional and heart-warming tale that is immensely entertaining and well researched concerning this powerful and revolutionary time in history.”

—Readers’ Favorite five-star review

“Once again, A. L. Sowards knocks it out of the park with a wonderful story filled with suspense, amazing research, and unforgettable characters in a fascinating setting. A Waltz With Traitors is un-put-down-able.”

—Jennifer Moore, best-selling author of The Blue Orchid Society series

“This historical fiction was beyond thrilling and captivating. . . . Seeing these brave individuals not only survive but thrive was beyond satisfying. This isn’t a tale for the faint-hearted, but it is one that should definitely be read. An inspiring read.”

—Charissa Stastny, author of Love Notes and Of Sky and Stone

“A well-researched and moving story about a little-known chapter of World War I. The story primarily revolves around Nadia, a Russian aristocrat running for her life, and Filip, a Czech soldier who defected to join the Czechoslovakian Legion. Filip offers Nadia a sham marriage so she can join their company. Over the months, they grow to love one another and make the marriage real. But life in a war zone is perilous, and they are pulled apart. Terrible things happen (mostly off page), and those things are never gratuitous. A beautiful and resilient love story in one of the darkest times.”

—Samantha Hastings, historical author of Secret of the Sonnets

“A.L. Sowards has become a masterful author of historical fiction. Her talent shines in her new novel, A Waltz with Traitors. She weaves together little-known facts regarding World War I and what happened with those fighting for independence and hoping to create their own country of Czechoslovakia. Strong characters, such as Filip Sadlák and Nadia Linskaya, touch your heart as they struggle to find love during war. If you want to get lost in a wonderful story, I highly recommend this book.”

—Kathi Oram Peterson, author of Shifting Sands

“A.L. Sowards has written a masterpiece in A Waltz With Traitors. This well-researched book carries the reader into an overwhelming world of war and chaos after the Russian tsar falls. Soward does a brilliant job of keeping the story moving while relating the history of the Czechoslavakian Legion. Amid this tumult, the reader is anchored to the two main characters—Nadia and Filip. The pain and trauma they nobly survive leaves the reader caring deeply about their finding peace and a better life.”

—Laura Ruppe, author of Nora and the Sacred Stones

“Throughout the book, we are met with beautiful reminders and themes of love, hope, family, friendship, and a longing for a better future. I loved meeting Filip and his friends and getting to know Nadia as well! The tone and atmospheric writing used in the story are absolutely breathtaking, and I loved it for this story! It fit the themes and era so well and kept me reading late into the night!”

—Goodreads review

For Joseph

Thank you for all the times you’ve made dinner or distracted the kids

while I have tried to get just one more chapter written or edited.

A note about content

The following novel contains depictions of warfare, war injuries, disease, miscarriage, kidnapping, off-page sexual assault, executions, and implied intimacy between married couples.

A note about spelling

Many of the locations included in this story have more than one possible spelling. Spelling chosen for use in this novel is based on the most common usage at the time of the story and is not meant to form a political statement about current usage and spelling.

Glossary and Historical Background

Ataman: A term for a Cossack leader.

Bolsheviks: The majority wing of the Russian Communist Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, committed to the extremes of Communist ideology, including the creation of a Soviet state by violent revolution.

Bourgeoisie: In Marxist philosophy, the social class that owns the means of production, including land and business owners motivated by property rights and capitalism. Seen as oppressors of the lower class or proletariat.

Cheka: The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to Combat Counterrevolution and Sabotage, a secret police organization established in 1917 to combat opponents of the Communist Revolution. The Cheka had power to arrest, torture, and execute counterrevolutionaries and class enemies without trial.

Czechoslovak Legion: A military unit formed of Czechs and Slovaks aligned with the Allied Powers of World War One, including Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. Though Czechs and Slovaks were subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the war’s beginning, the legion sought the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia out of Austro-Hungarian territory. As Austro-Hungarian subjects fighting alongside the empire’s enemies, they were considered traitors by their former rulers. Most members were Czechs and Slovaks who had been captured by or who had defected to the Allied side during the war, though émigrés were also included in the ranks.

Dokha: A fur overcoat, often made from Samoyed dog skin.

Družina: A military unit created in 1914 from Czech and Slovak émigrés and war prisoners in Russia. They were incorporated into the Russian Imperial Army and specialized in reconnaissance work against Austro-Hungarian and German forces.

Kopeck: Subunit of the Russian ruble, similar to a cent in U.S. currency.

Mensheviks: A minority wing of the Russian Communist Party. They were in favor of a gradual development of a Soviet society through democratic legislation rather than through violent revolution.

Naida: A type of slow-burning log fire used by Siberian prospectors.

Proletariat: In Marxist philosophy, the social class whose only asset is its ability to labor and is thus regularly oppressed by the bourgeoisie.

Reds: A term for Communists, especially during the Russian Civil War.

Revkom: Bolshevik Revolutionary Committee. A group that held power in Irkutsk for a time in early 1920.

Ruble: Basic Russian monetary unit. After the fall of Imperial Russia, rubles were printed by the various successor states.

Sokol: A network of clubs and societies built around sports and cultural activities. The movement began with Czechs but spread to other Slavic peoples.

Soviet: A government council in a communist country. At the beginning of this novel, most Soviets were local and decentralized. Centralization increased rapidly during the years this novel covers, as the Bolsheviks consolidated and expanded their power.

Steppe: A geographic area dominated by grasslands and few trees other than those near bodies of water. Similar to a prairie or savannah.

Taiga: A term used to describe the boreal forest covering much of Siberia. Dominated by pine, larch, and spruce.

Teplushka: A train boxcar that offered the most basic passenger service. The Czechoslovak Legion turned them into portable barracks.

Ushanka: A fur cap with flaps for the ears that can be tied up or used to shield more of the wearer’s face from the cold.

Whites: A term for those opposing the Reds during the Russian Civil War. The group included monarchists, militarists, and other groups fighting against the Communists.

Zemlanky: An earthen dugout used as a barrack or as housing for prisoners.