Night Train to Odesa by Jen Stout
Night Train to Odesa by Jen Stout – Covering the Human Cost of russia’s War – is one of the many books I read by foreigners going to Ukraine after russia’s full scale invasion. This is different not only because of the natural differences in views and the subjectivity of experiences, but also because she was in russia on the 24th February. Born in Scotland Stout dreamed to work in russia and spoke russian. This book is a personal account and she talks freely about her life before going to russia. It is a must read and I highly recommend it.
After leaving russia days after the full-scale invasion, she went to a small border crossing in Romania. It is a place close to where I lived, but I never been to. She talked about other places, like a monastery or described the Danube Delta, a place I’ve been to on holidays and days out.
From Romania she went to Odesa, Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Kramatorsk from where she went close to the frontline to report from there. The interviews she talks about are fascinating because of their diversity. She talked about language, the language spoken by the people between them, the language she used (russian) and how she felt about it considering that russians were attacking Ukrainians.
Her style is wonderful, the book is a pleasure to read. For me it was emotional, as she talked about people I already knew what happened to them and knew their stories.
Night Train to Odesa by Jen Stout
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My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: Yes!!
Published by: Birlinn Ltd.
Year it was published: 2024
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): History
Pages: 288
About the author: Jen Stout is a journalist, writer, and radio producer from Scotland, frequently working in Ukraine. Originally from Shetland, she has lived in Germany and Russia. Her reports are often found in the Sunday Post and on BBC Radio.
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Has the war and what she witnessed altered her desire to live and work in Russia?
Kelly` recently posted…Flights of Fancy and a Spin
Yes, of course. When it started she couldn’t leave faster when the war started. What the russians were saying about Ukraine and the war was appalling. She also talked about how the history is used for propaganda, the history she was taught during her programme there.
She also paid attention of what the russians told members of their own families that lived in Ukraine. It shows the true nature of the current russian values.
putin is not going against what the russians want, most of them (almost all) want this war.