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

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The story alternated chapter wise between 1930s Ukraine and present day in 2004 and was well written as a dual timeline, and really brought readers into the historical setting of the time and made me understand and feel what they were going through very well.

Have you heard of the Holodomor, the forced famine in 1930s Ukraine? I hadn’t, although I knew of Stalin’s collectivisation. In Ukraine, an estimated 3.9 million people perished. In the words of a character in this novel: “Everyone wants Ukraine’s fertile soil for their own, and nobody wants to let Ukrainians rule it.” Any book about that country needs to be read, to widen our understanding of what its people have suffered. The human suffering involved at the hands of the Soviets is appalling and now we are seeing a similar thing play out on the world stage which brings these issues sharply into focus. The characters in the 1930 timeline are well-carved and gutsy. Each of them creates an impact for various reasons. Of the 2004 characters, Birdie was the sweetest. I loved the glimpse provided into Ukrainian traditions and rituals. The book didn’t use Ukraine for the sake of it but actually incorporated its people, its culture and its values into the storyline. This is how places must be used in historical stories.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. This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor. That it depicts the nation’s suffering as a result of Russian meddling is less coincidence than, well, history. The granddaughter of a Ukrainian refugee, Litteken grew up hearing about the difficulties of life in Eastern Europe during, and after, World War II. That led her to the Holodomor, a time when Stalin’s heavy-handed attempts to force Ukraine to collectivize left an estimated 13% of the nation dead. If you’re at all interested in historical fiction, Ukraine/Russia, and little known pieces of history, I highly recommend this novel. Thank you to the author for bringing this story to light. Zeventig jaar later. Omdat Katya’s kleindochter Cassie jong weduwe is geworden, trekt ze tijdelijk bij haar oma in. Daar ontdekt ze het dagboek van haar grootmoeder, dat het schokkende verhaal achter haar familie onthult: een verhaal over hoop, doorzettingsvermogen en liefde onder de meest barre omstandigheden.

So this book being entwined with a romance? And also the form itself. The dialogue was YA. Telling and telling too. Not showing. And few populations could be farther removed from both of those habits. Not in real life. Or any reality I've seen them live. Nor any I have loved or have seen departed early from the aftermaths. The historical fiction novel The Memory Keeper of Kyiv by debut novelist Erin Litteken tells the story of a little known piece of history that occurred in the 1930s Ukraine called “Holodomor”, that was a man-made famine issued by Joseph Stalin & the Soviet Union.A 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 I never imagined the release of my novel on a past assault of the Ukrainian people would coincide with such a parallel tragedy. 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