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

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The contemporary timeline, while interesting, is very drab in comparison to the past story. It is too predictable. The characters are pretty one-dimensional. I also found it very farfetched that Cassie’s family, especially her mom, knew zilch about their Ukrainian heritage. Cassie seemed quite incapable of understanding even the most obvious of connections while the rest of us could decode the clues from a mile away. As the granddaughter of a Ukrainian refugee from WW2, the poignancy of this war devastates me. While we can’t change history, we can all learn from it and do something to help the Ukrainian people today. I’m so pleased that my publisher, Boldwood Books, is donating a share of the proceeds of this novel to DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of that effort.

Katya reminds herself frequently of her father’s words: “Just make it through today. Tomorrow will be better.” Is there a saying or proverb that has helped you in hard times?The Author's Note at the end of the book describes some interesting parallels between her own family's history and the book's story. Here's a link to a message from the Author: I have never read any book covering the topic of the ‘Holodomor’, the manmade famine that resulted in the loss of almost 4 million Ukrainian lives during the 1930s. That itself should be the biggest reason to go for this book. It reveals unheard-of details of a travesty that has never been highlighted. There were so many elements that felt like exaggerations because I simply couldn’t believe humans could do something as low. But the author’s note and her sources show that every despicable event is true. Kudos to her research. The propaganda and division sowed by the activists when they arrive is powerful and pits neighbors and family members against each other. How did that contribute to breaking down the fabric of village life? Are there parallels in today’s society? What do you think the main reason was for the collectivisation of farm production in Ukraine? Was it to divert food to other Soviet countries or was it, as Kolya said, because they “want us all dead. Je maakt steeds sprongen naar deze gebeurtenissen die zich rond 1929-1934 afspelen. Vooral deze stukken vond ik erg interessant en heftig. Je leest over de grote liefde van Katya en de vreselijke dingen die zij, haar familie en andere bewoners van Oekraïne hebben moeten meemaken. Ook is het natuurlijk interessant om meer over Cassie en haar dochtertje te lezen, maar de periode van Katya vond ik toch net even wat boeiender. Er zitten echt schokkende momenten tussen namelijk.

Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother's journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family's haunted past. In the 1930s, Stalin’s activists marched through the Soviet Union, promoting the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives. Inspired by this, Erin Litteken reimagines their story. I never imagined the release of my novel on a past oppression of the Ukrainian people would coincide with such a parallel tragedy." Erin Litteken 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 communistischeA compelling and intimate story of love and survival. Harrowing and haunting . . . yet, at the same time, it is sensitive, beautiful and inspiring. Everybody should read this story, especially now. I cannot recommend it highly enough.” — Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo Dochters van Kiev' is een zeer meeslepend, emotioneel en heftig verhaal. En het is zo verdrietig dat dit land en zijn bewoners nu weer iets verschrikkelijks meemaakt... Ik zou dit boek zeker op je lijstje zetten om te lezen! Katya broke the law again and again to get food for her family, even after Alina’s death. Did she make the right choice? Why do you think Alina sacrificed herself and took the blame for Katya’s theft? What?? I never reviewed this glorious book that I read in October 2022. A dual timeline that takes us from the present day to 1930's Soviet Ukraine and the tragedy of the great famine( Holodomor).