A review by relf
The Museum of Abandoned Secrets by Oksana Zabuzhko

3.0

It's fitting that I finished reading this long novel about Ukraine on Memorial Day: it's a story about reclaiming the dead of World War II, and of the reach of their lives into the lives of 21st-century characters. The story ties together three women--a modern-day television personality and documentarian--the story is told mostly from her point of view or that of her partner, Adrian; her artist friend; and a woman who appears in a 1947 photograph of a band of Ukrainian Insurgent Army fighters. I appreciated learning something of the history of Ukraine from 1947 to the early 2000s and of the atmosphere of Kyiv. And for me, there was a great appeal to the protagonists' almost mystical connection to the past, reinforced by the historical record--archives and interviews and genealogy. When I found myself confused by the twisting strands of the story, the writing kept me going until I found myself back in the swing. Could have been shorter, but worth the reading.

This book was recommended reading for a Road Scholar trip to the Black Sea, including Ukraine, that we were not able to take because of the coronavirus pandemic.