Devastating. Uplifting. Tragic. Hope. Cruelty. Tenderness. Evil. Love. Inhumane. Human. All these words fit. It's man's inhumanity to man while, somehow, still radiating a sense that where there is life there is hope.
In other words, this one is an emotional roller coaster. Having read Litteken's first book based on family memories, I opted to read straight through. No notes but frequent breaks when the story became almost too much to bear. Quite frankly, even if I'd taken extensive notes I couldn't come close to capturing this story in the relatively few words of a review. It's a story that needs to be told, however, and Litteken does a wonderful job of, while not omitting the horrors, conveying the resilience and hope that shines from her three main characters.
In some ways I felt most akin to artistic Liliya, but all faced the horrors of war in their own unique ways. The words that were left ringing in my mind came early, to be brave and keep fighting because, yes, where there is life there is hope. That inner strength goes a long way toward explaining the need the Ukrainians have to keep fighting against invaders.
Read this book.
Thank you #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for reminding me that even when hope seems slim, it is always there.
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