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I Will Die in a Foreign Land
I Will Die in a Foreign Land | Kalani Pickhart
3 posts | 4 read | 5 to read
An ABA "Indie Next List" pick for November 2021. "A debut that is as thoughtful as it is explosive." BuzzFeed "Innovative, emotionally resonant, and deeply affecting." Kirkus, Starred "Its a stunner." Publishers Weekly, Starred In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Thtre de Champs-Elyses. Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad. A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovychs failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians. I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is an Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michaels Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wifes death; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano. As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandrs lives become intertwined, they each seek their own solace during an especially tumultuous and violent period. The story is also told by a chorus of voices that incorporates folklore and narrates a turbulent Slavic history. While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy.
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BookNAround
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The rain is clearing up but I‘m still reading by the fire. I finished my last book so I thought I‘d pick this one up since I planned to read it for #RememberingJenny.

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WellReadCatLady
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The intertwined lives of 4 people during the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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ReadingEnvy
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Publisher summary excerpt:
"[This novel] follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is a Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat; Slava is a fiery young activist; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, climbs atop a burned-out police bus and plays the piano."↘️

ReadingEnvy Set in 2013-14 but also rooted in the complexities of the past (from the mythical Rus to Cossacks to Chernobyl), alternating viewpoints include the four characters plus news articles, cassette recordings, songs, and more. It's very readable and brings the reader into the intimacy of the recent past for Ukraine. ↘️ 3y
ReadingEnvy I was trying to read non-fiction about Stalin's war on Ukraine and was drawn back into fiction instead.

The author is not Ukrainian but is donating all proceeds of the book to relief orgs benefitting Ukrainian people.
3y
BookNAround This just came in the mail for me today! 3y
Cathythoughts Strong title 👍🏻 3y
ReadingEnvy @BookNAround I hope you enjoy! 3y
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