The Memory Keeper of Kyiv: The most powerful, important historical novel of 2022

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Zusammen ergibt es ein großes Ganzes, das viele bewegende Momente mit sich bringt. Wobei ich ganz klar sagen muss, dass mich der Erzählstrang der Vergangenheit am meisten bewegt und berührt hat. Durch die häufig wechselnde Zeit und Perspektive fiel es mir gerade im Bezug auf Cassie doch schwer einen Bezug aufzubauen und sie blieb mir ehrlich gesagt doch sehr fern. Serve it with a loaf of fresh, crusty bread for dipping and a sprinkle of fresh dill to compliment the sour notes. Heartbreaking tale of the Homodor or Murder by Hunger, a man made famine that killed millions of people in Ukraine during Stalin's forced collective farms program. This was a horrible time in history and it has been covered up and forgotten. It should never be forgotten. When productive farms were taken over by the government and people killed or shipped to Siberia for simply disagreeing with the government or for trying to find food to survive. When people are reduced to eating earthworms and grain from the burrows of rats to survive and they are still dying. When a woman drops dead in a food line to receive a slice of bread. When people work all day on farms that are not their own and not allowed to work their own farms being paid only with a slice of bread for the day's work, the system is wrong, cruel and broken. Shredded beets do take some effort. Be sure to remove the skin of the beet before shredding. And wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little beet juice on.

A stunning portrait of Ukraine and its people, of strength, of endurance, of the fight for survival during the forced famine, the Holodomor, but also a tender story of Katya, a grandmother whose hidden history holds the power to guide her granddaughter through the darkness of loss and grief, toward life and a limitless future. A remarkable read not to be missed." Lisa Wingate, author of *Before We Were Yours Despite the issues I had with the modern timeline, the historical part of the book was enough for me to be a satisfied reader. ( In fact, the book might have worked better as a historical story focussing only on the Holodomor instead of having the dual narrative.) It is a great debut work and I will surely love to read more by this author.This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor. May we never forget, lest history repeat itself. Katya and Kolya ate many atypical things to survive, all of which were based on survivors’ accounts. Which stood out to you the most?

What has your own experience with Ukraine been prior to this book? Did the settings feel familiar from your own travels there? In 1929 leidt de zestienjarige Katya nog een onbezorgd leven; ze wordt omringd door familie en is verliefd op haar buurjongen. Maar Stalins plan om Oekraïne, de graanschuur van Europa, in te lijven bij het communistische This novel is very timely to what’s happening in the news regarding the political issues going on between Ukraine & Russia. Perhaps I know too much about immigrant Ukrainians to IL and also their first generation. Or Croatians, or Polish, or Lithuanians, or Slovaks. But maybe it is the form of this writing. Both I think.There are many parallels between the historical and the contemporary timelines such as handling grief and finding love after loss. The stories work well in sync. Although not pictured, it is almost always served with a large spoonful of sour cream on top and some people mix it in to the soup before serving. Did you sample any interesting food while researching this book? Or experience anything exciting while researching?

After her husband’s death, Cassie felt she had lost her ability to write. Birdie stopped talking. Have you – or has someone close to you – ever felt that words have failed you after a trauma?In 1929, 16-year-old Katya and her elder sister live with their parents and farm their land, their life bound by seasons and celebrations in a close-knit community. When Stalin’s men come to collectivise the land and impose terror, the graphic horror presents Katya with impossible choices. I’ve written a novel on the Rwandan genocide in 1994 ( Hunting the Devil), and I find it alarming that centuries have passed and humans still feel threatened by those who are different and that mass killing in the guise of self-protection continues. The trauma of genocide not only affects the people immediately involved, but also causes epigenetic changes that affect future generations. Books such as The Memory Keeper of Kyiv and The Doctor’s Daughter force us to look at ourselves and our past—and hopefully to avoid such atrocities in our future—while celebrating the resilience and fortitude of the human spirit. This book is absolutely incredible. If you enjoy reading dual time spans and learning from what you read may I suggest this to you?