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4.49 AVERAGE
4.49 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
fast-paced
Katherine Marsh did an outstanding job with this novel. Had I not read Red Famine a couple years ago, I would have known nothing about this horrible, government inflicted family, the Holodomor, that caused the death of 80% of the Ukrainian population, over 3 million people! Marsh writes from a place of authenticity, telling fictionalized versions of what could have been her own family's story. I also really admire the way that she chose to tell the story with two of the three point of view characters being directly connected to but not experiencing the famine firsthand and the third point of view connecting back form the height of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. The main story, set during the famine, revolves around three cousins who have never met - one in the United States, one in the countryside directly affected by the famine, and one in Kiev who lived in blissful ignorance of the famine until the unexpected arrival of her emaciated cousin on her doorstep. The 2020 point of view focuses on the great-grandson of one of those cousins, his attempt to navigate the new, weird lockdown world, especially difficult for him because of his dad's new job posting in Paris with no end to the separation in sight. All of these characters, especially the cousin in Kiev, had to unlearn and relearn what they believe and why they believe it, a powerful message, especially for today.
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Touching, lovely, sometimes hard to read story about a Ukrainian famine in the past, Covid in 2020, and a great grandma telling her grandson the story of her youth in Ukraine.
Great middle-grade (partially) historical novel that illustrates what happened during the famine in Ukraine known as the Holodomor. A present-day boy living with his mom and great-grandmother during the Covid lockdown of 2020, Matthew discovers that his GG has been keeping a huge secret all of her life. He slowly uncovers her story of surviving the famine inflicted by the Soviets on the Ukrainian people, while also telling the story of her American cousin at the same time period in New York City. Also a good reflection of what life was like for kids and parents during the early days of Covid, which is just starting to be written about. Great choice for intergenerational book discussion groups.
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I heard a fascinating interview with the author and requested this one from my library. A dual-timeline - between 1930s Ukraine, 1930s New York, and 2020 Pandemic New York. Tells the story of the Holodomor, a boy whose Ukrainian Great-Grandmother lives with them, and his research into her backstory. Lots of lovely Orthodox moments as well. 5/5 stars. While I borrowed from the library, a copy will be finding its way to my Keeper Shelf.