Captivating and heart wrenching, the story of Julia and her sister Maria fleeing the Nazi invasion of their country, taking them to Germany and beyond. Hard to put down, sensitive writing, recommended reading.

This book pushed my emotions to the extreme. Extreme rage and extreme sorrow. It will rip your heart out. I raged at a woman’s helplessness and being forced to make the most heart wrenching choice ever. Julia, the main character, endures much loss in her life. She is a far better person than I as she is able to forgive the man who foisted the irreparable damage upon her because I would never have been able.
The author based this story on her own grandparents’ story and while I appreciate it, it still enrages me that certain situations happened to her grandmother.

Based on a true story, The Child of Ukraine had me in tears! It is very thought provoking and compelling. I found it difficult to get into initially but soon became engrossed so if you find yourself feeling the same, so for it a chance! I really enjoyed reading from the Ukrainian perspective.

This book follows the struggles of a family from Ukraine who immigrate several times to try to keep a step ahead of destruction from World War II and other challenges they face. The family is ripped apart, and the story continues into the 2000s with some details on the next generation and closure for enduring hard times.

I wanted to enjoy this book more, but it felt disjointed. Although the subject matter was heavy and pulls the heartstrings, I wished for more depth and less plot.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A tragic, bittersweet and absorbing novel from a talented author. Tetyana brings to life her characters and her events vividly in this piece of work.
Having read her poetry I was unsurprised to discover her fictional pieces are so excellent.

Henry and Julia were forced laborers after escaping the Ukraine when war came to their country. Julia's parents tried to get her and her sister Maria away safely, but they were captured and sent to a labor camp. It is at this camp when Julia sees Henry, a young man from her home town. The two marry and even have a daughter. Henry eventually tells Julia of a plan he has for his small family to escape the camp and take refuge in Australia.

Uncertain, but trusting her husband, Julia agrees. They do make it to Australia, but life does not become any easier. In fact, in many ways, conditions become even more harsh. Not only in Julia in a strange new land, but Henry is working long, arduous hours for the sake of his family. The couple begin experiencing problems in their marriage and this brings a lot of uncertainty, especially for Julia. One thing she does long for is to have more children, and this longing comes with a lot of heartache.

Australia is not the end of the line for Julia and Henry and they soon make the long and difficult trip to New York. Not sure how much more she can endure, Julia tries to stand by Henry, even as their problems continue to grow and the gulf between them continues to widen.

What a devastatingly heartbreaking story. I so wanted Julia and Henry to find any measure of joy, but the fact remains that living during World War II was extremely difficult, no matter the location. That time in history was truly painful and survival was key. I did find it difficult to read this book, especially with the current climate that exists between the Ukraine and Russia, making this book one of history definitely repeating itself.

Inasmuch as the story contained herein was utterly compelling, what was even more so is the fact that this book was inspired by Tetyana Denford's grandparents. While the book was fictionalized, as much as possible, Ms. Denford used true events and reports to write this unforgettable book. Even the utterly tragic experience that Julia later experienced is something that our author's grandmother herself actually experienced. My heart was in my throat when I read that.

When you read a pivotal book like this it makes for a lasting impression, one that garners respect for the author, her family, and the residents and escapees of the war-torn country of Ukraine. While tragic, this book does deliver a message of love and strength of the human spirit. This message evolves to one of hope, thus making this book one that I will never forget.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

What a read!
A very sensitive and heartfelt story about war-torn families, who are trying to survive and get back on their feet.
And, in the process of that, encountering other, unexpected problems... It is not an easy read. A lot of pain, confusion, heartbreak and, most importantly, hope.
Based on a real family, real people and real events, this book is a window to the hearts of misplaced but very resilient people. These people are from Ukraine, the country, which is suffering from war, again. This story now, more than ever, feels so relevant given these circumstances. And even if it wouldn't be Ukraine.. the world is full of people, who are involuntary migrants, forced out of their homes and countries because of war. It's a sort of tribute to them. It's also a tribute to all the families with complicated lives, lost and newly found ties, pain, heartbreak, and of course, hope. Because even in the darkest moments, there is always hope.
The book is easy to read, very absorbing, real, and believable and I would like to hope, that for some people - eye opening. I, with the interest in these kinds of stories, history and my own background - the story sounds like an echo of the other families, who happened to be in the middle of a war and had to endure it, in order to survive.
It's a very much-needed book.

I stayed up while two in the morning to finish this book. I must admit when I first started reading it I found it a little bit slow but once I got past 25% I realised what an amazing story it was turning into and I couldn't put it down. We moan about mundane problems but nothing compares to the horrors of trying to escape the cruelties of war, never knowing if you will survive the violence and hunger. that is with you every day. Julia's mother and father sent both of their daughters away from Ukraine for their own safety.but they were far from safe., one sister survived and one did not. The story continues through the years where lives are still torn apart, happiness and contentment seems just an unobtainable dream. The book is based on a true story which makes it all the more heartbreaking.

OH MY GOSH I AM STILL BROKEN FROM THIS BOOK. The writing is good, the storyline is heart-wrenchingly compelling and the charcaters are well developed. It is brutally raw and left me in tears with nearly every page. A harrowing but fantastic read.

This is an incredibly moving story and is particularly poignant with the current situation in Ukraine.

Starting in the Second World War we meet sisters Julia and Maria, who are forced to flee their home in Ukraine when the Russians invade, leaving behind their parents on their farm. They run to Nazi Germany where Julia finds employment in a work camp and meets her husband Henry, another refugee from her home town. We follow the couple as they try to settle  with their young family, first of all in Germany, then Australia and finally in New York.

I don't want to give any spoilers by elaborating further on the events of the book but this is a beautiful, but heartbreaking story. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC!

“History will always repeat itself. The news recently isn’t really news to a lot of Ukrainians who have always had the present and the past looming over them and their families. We’ve all lived with these stories for over 90 years. They’ve been passed down to us little by little, with older generations sharing cups of tea and reminiscing about their homes and their relatives that they never got a chance to see again, and then tipping into anger and frustration that nothing ever seems to change.”

Author Tetyana Denford’s words affected me deeply. Her plea to repay the cost - the human toll of war - by giving, even if it’s only my time, to read and support her people struck a chord with me and I felt compelled to read her story.

This heartbreaking dual timeline novel is the culmination of a three year journey the author undertook to discover more about her Ukrainian family. It’s about her immigrant grandmother’s life and highlights survival, difficult choices, a tragic secret, and how learning to forgive oneself is the greatest gift, and necessary step, towards healing and moving on. We have a lot to learn from the courage and strength of immigrants and Denford makes sure we also know about their sacrifice and what they had to leave behind in order to live another day. It’s an emotional and compelling read that follows Denford’s grandmother from Ukraine to America and answers the question, "Is it ever too late to heal old wounds?"

I was gifted this advance copy by Tetyana Denford, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an advance copy of #TheChildofUkraine for review. Reading this book was a genuine rollercoaster of emotions. Based loosely around the authors family, it is a heartbreaking tale following a displaced Ukrainian girl and her twists and turns of life and love. A read that made me want to read one more chapter.

This is a book readers will find almost impossible to put down, it is so good! However, it’s subtitle, one of the many, many, many books given the subsequent, ‘WWII novel’ is misleading since most of the story takes place after WWII. That doesn’t make this book less enjoyable.

Based on the incredible true story of the author’s grandparents, The Child of Ukraine is a breathtakingly powerful tale of love, loss and family secret's. Beyond heartbreaking at times, I couldn’t stop reading because this book got a hold of me and refused to let go. This is a corker!