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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
I listened to the first 50 pages and then bought the hardcover and basically read it in one sitting - it's so good! Matthew is a bored and frustrated 13 year old New Yorker in early spring of 2020. His dad has moved to Paris for his job and his mom is always on zoom calls while his 100 year old great-grandma, GG, is living upstairs. Some poor choices, and poor luck, doom Matthew to helping a reluctant GG go through her boxes of memorabilia. As Matthew discovers GG's back story, the reader is also discovering her story by reading about her and two other girls in 1932. Two of the girls live in Russian Ukraine and one in Brooklyn, New York. Slowly, the connections between the girls, and the horrors of the Holodomor (famine that killed millions of Ukranians covered up by the Soviet government for decades), come to light. The necessity of a free press and brave people willing to take risks for the truth is a highlight of this heart-grabbing, heart-rending story inspired by some of the author's family history.
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. This book is going to stick with me for a while.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was an incredible read, and ranks right up there with the beautiful works of Ruta Sepetys. This story is so powerful, and the author truly put her heart into this work, as it is reflective of her own family's history. Thank you, Katherine Marsh, for writing this book. For sharing this history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
Moderate: Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great novel based on true stories and events.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Death of parent, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Classism
I'll write a more coherent review later but I just absolutely sobbed during the last 15% of the book. This story is so important, and the way it connected to the Pandemic and the worries of survival was perfection. So impactful, accessible, and informative as well. Now to go down a Wiki-hole about the Holodomor.