Book Review - The Memory Keeper of Kyiv - By Erin Litteken - Publication Date: 16 May 2022

 

Many have heard of the Holocaust but not many have heard of the Holodomor.  I hadn't until I  read this Historical Fiction book which sticks very close to the facts of the matter.  Holodomor refers to Stalin's 1930's death-by-starvation strategy to subdue and coerce Ukrainians into accepting collectivism, via it's resulting depravations and horrors.  Survivors often became bereft of most of their family members and even villages from whence they had come.

Such was the fate of Katya, and Kolya and their dear little Halya.

This is a dual story line of the 1930's characters (Katya) and of present day (2004) descendants in the form of Kayta's daughter Anna, granddaughter Cassie and great-granddaughter Birdie.  All had  had some intense trauma and heartache from which they valiantly try to cope with and overcome.  As Kayta has some form of dementia, likely Alzheimer's, she relives the horrors of her younger years' past.  Katya never tells of her painful past but does have it written down, in Ukrainian.  Cassie, a journalist, is frustrated by this as she cannot read Ukrainian.  Yet, there comes a male someone who can translate and Cassie and Anna can then understand Katya better.  You may guess that there is romance in the mix as well.

It is always difficult to read stories of lives filled with horrendous abuse and tragedy but as we see how these protagonists hang on to life we can be encouraged and inspired towards the same ends.  Tender-hearted readers will likely weep as I did.

The Memory Keeper of Kyiv is such a fitting title, I believe, especially since tragedy and nightmares are happening in the Ukraine again at this time (2022).  The author Erin Litteken brings the past to life rather vividly - yes, this is a work of fiction so there's salt and pepper - however, one can Google facts of the 1930's from the Holodomor time and ferret out the facts for oneself, and judge the veracity of Litteken's work.

The  author is,  in fact, a granddaughter of a Ukrainian refugee from WWII, who still recalls happenings from those times before and during WWII lending further authentication to  the  narrative.  Littekin, adds some of the facts as addenda along with  her 'about the author' blurb.

                                                 ~Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger~

                                                                March 2022

Disclaimer:  This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

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