The memory keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken
The memory keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken is the second book I read by her. I really like her writing style and I would happily read her future novels as well. I gave this book a very well deserved 5 stars. Like her other novel, this too has some autobiographical aspects, stories of her own family.
The novel follows the story of Katya, a 16 years old girl living in 1929 Ukraine. She kept a journal, documenting her life during the collectivisation and man-made famine of early 1930s. After 70 years, Cassie, a young woman who lost her husband moves in with her grandmother and discovers her journal.
The plot has two well-defined timeliness. I loved the similarities between their lives and also how different their responses were. The author touched on many topics, such as dealing with loss, but also how first and second generation migrants are seeing themselves, if they know the language of their forebears or not, how much of their traditions they remember and keep.
The ending is great. If slightly different it would have been too unrealistic, but she went for a realistic approach, meaning a bitter-sweet ending. The horrors of Holodomor are perfectly described, again, in a realistic manner. There is a connection between this book and her other book, disclosed at the end, so if you read one you might want to read the other one too. The book has a useful author’s note at the end, in which she mentions what happened to members of her own family. I loved the book and I highly recommend it.
The memory keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken
Details about the picture: –
My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes!!
Published by: Boldwood Books
Year it was published: 2022
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Fiction – Contemporary
Pages: 350
About the author: Erin Litteken is an international bestselling author of historical fiction. Her debut, THE MEMORY KEEPER OF KYIV, has been translated into sixteen languages and was the 2022 winner of the She Reads Best Historical Fiction Award. With a degree in history and a passion for research, Erin draws inspiration from her family roots, and in particular, her great-grandmother’s stories about life in Ukraine before, after, and during WWII. She lives outside of St. Louis with her husband and two children.
Website & Social Media Links: erinlitteken
I have her other book waiting in my Kindle. I’m sure I’ll end up adding this one, as well. Which did you prefer of the two?
Kelly recently posted…Altheas and Sinead O’Connor
This is a good question. I think I liked both equally, even though the timeline and the period covered were different. I really like her style of writing and the manner in which she included those terrible parts into the story.