For the empathetic child seeking to understand resilience in the face of historical hardship, this powerful story illuminates a harrowing chapter of Ukrainian history.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is asking questions about the war in Ukraine or is ready to understand how historical events shape the present. This powerful novel connects the 2020 pandemic with a harrowing, lesser-known chapter of history: the Holodomor, the 1930s Ukrainian famine-genocide. As 13-year-old Matthew navigates lockdown and his dad's job loss, he uncovers the story of his great-grandmother's childhood survival. The book unflinchingly explores themes of resilience, grief, and injustice, but frames them within a story of profound family love. For mature middle-grade readers (11-14), it's an exceptional tool for building empathy and historical perspective, showing that the fight for truth and survival echoes through generations.
Deaths from starvation are described, though not graphically. Main characters lose friends and neighbors.
Scary ScenesModerate
Depicts threatening soldiers, intense hunger, and the fear of being discovered or punished.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly and realistically with state-sanctioned starvation, death, and political violence. Death is a constant presence in the historical sections, including the deaths of neighbors, friends, and the sight of bodies in the street. The approach is secular, focusing on human cruelty and resilience. The resolution is realistic and poignant: the historical trauma is not erased, but the act of uncovering and honoring the story provides a hopeful sense of closure and continuity for the family.
Ideal Reader
A mature, empathetic reader aged 11-14 who is ready for complex historical fiction. This is perfect for a child who has shown interest in social justice, asks questions about current events like the war in Ukraine, and can handle emotionally intense material. A good fit for fans of Alan Gratz or Ruta Sepetys.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared to discuss the Holodomor as a genocide. The depictions of starvation and its effects are vivid and disturbing (e.g., people dying in the streets, desperation leading to terrible choices). Parents should preview the more intense chapters, particularly those describing the winter of 1932-33. Reading this book alongside a child would be highly beneficial to provide historical context (about Stalin, collectivization, and the Soviet Union) and emotional support. A parent hears their child ask, "Why is Russia invading Ukraine?" or express anxiety about current events. The parent wants a book that provides historical context for a modern conflict and showcases incredible human resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable hardship.
Age Experience
A younger reader (10-11) will likely focus on the gripping survival story of Nadiya and the mystery Matthew is solving. They will absorb the core emotions of fear and sadness. An older reader (12-14) is more likely to grasp the complex political context of the genocide, the themes of propaganda and historical erasure, and the direct line the author draws between the Holodomor and current events in Ukraine.
What Makes It Special
Its masterful use of a dual timeline to connect a largely forgotten historical atrocity directly to a contemporary crisis (the COVID pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion). This structure makes history feel urgent and deeply relevant, demonstrating how the past is never truly past. It's an exceptionally effective bridge between history and current events for young readers.
Read plot summary
A dual-narrative story alternating between the past and present. In 2020, 13-year-old Matthew is stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with his dad's recent job loss and his great-grandmother's (GG) advancing dementia. He begins to piece together GG's past and uncovers her secret history as a young girl named Nadiya who survived the Holodomor, the horrific man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s. The story chronicles Nadiya's family's struggle to survive starvation, political oppression, and loss, while in the present, Matthew connects this painful history to his own family and the world today.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The story switches between Matthew's life during the COVID-19 lockdown and Nadiya's life during the Holodomor. Why do you think the author told these two stories together? What surprising similarities did you notice between their experiences?
2
Nadiya and her family must make many impossible choices to survive. What do you think was the most difficult decision they faced, and why was it so hard?
3
The Soviet government used propaganda, calling reports of the famine 'fake news' to hide the truth. How does this part of Nadiya's story relate to how we get information and news today?
4
For most of her life, GG kept her story a secret. Why do you think she hid her past for so long? What changes when Matthew and his family finally learn the truth?
