Katherine Marsh’s latest title will be a contender on many best book lists. As always, her writing is flawless. This book could easily cross over to adults, especially those who are interested in Soviet Ukraine’s history and the Holodomor.

Marsh uses three perspectives and a dual timeline. Her main character Matthew is a middle school student in 2020 experiencing the Covid-19 lockdown. His sense of isolation from his friends and family along with his minimal interest in online school will resonate with middle school readers. When his 100 year old great grandmother (GG) moves in, yet another layer is added to his life as he tries to do his mother’s bidding and help GG unpack her boxes. Gradually Matthew learns of GG’s and her two cousins’ girlhoods in Soviet Ukraine when Stalin was collectivizing farms and attempting to starve out the Ukrainians that they called “Kulaks.”

As someone interested in history, I was horrified to learn that nearly 4 million Ukrainian people died from this genocide. This book demonstrates the significance of the past on the current war. Marsh used her own family’s experiences to inform the story. It is a riveting, heartbreaking, and rich read. Some may not be ready to read about the continuing pandemic. However, the tragedy of the Holodomor helps put our recent past and current experiences into perspective.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a great deal about the forced famine of the Soviet Union and the Ukraine during the 1930’s. This story alternates between several characters and tells their stories. It is a very powerful and wonderfully written story.

When Matthew's great grandma (GG) comes to live with him during the Covid pandemic, he finds himself forced to help her sort through her old boxes of stuff. Although GG is hesitant to speak up about her past, Matthew slowly uncovers a story that had been all but hidden forever: GG's life the holodomer, the Ukrainian famine. Slowly, GG reveals the story of three cousins: Helen, whose parents had immigrated to New York, Mila, whose father is a Party leader in the Soviet society, and Nadiya, whose family is accused of being rebellious kulaks and is left to starve along with thousands of others. Their story of survival is twisted by the revelation that one of them doesn't make it out alive, but until Matthew can get GG to trust him, he'll never find out why.

This story is a poignant reflection on the importance of truth. It was really hard to read at times, but I found I couldn't put it down. The characters are so lovable; I felt their losses and trauma deeply. Although the story is told from three different viewpoints, it fits together excellently. I don't usually like when historical fiction is shoved into a framework of a contemporary character uncovering it, but the story of fake news and misinformation surrounding the holodomer slips into the misinformation around the Covid pandemic brilliantly and neither story inserts itself rudely when it isn't wanted. This book was an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Very much worth the read, but make sure to bring some tissues.

The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh follows thirteen-year-old Matthew at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is a rough adjustment for Matthew; he misses his father who is working as a journalist in France, his friends, and his routine. The best he can hope for is spending hours playing video games, but when his Mom takes away video games as a punishment, what is Matthew to do? The answer lies with GG, his great-grandmother, and a mysterious photograph. The story splits into different points of view (POV) between present-day Matthew, struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, his divorced parents, concern for his journalist father covering the pandemic in France, and boredom; Mila, a "daughter of the (Communist) Party" in 1932 Ukraine, who lives a life of relative privilege because her father is a high-ranking Community Party official; and Helen, a Russian-Ukranian-American girl living in Brooklyn with her family, and her quest to to make a difference in the mist of the famine.

The Lost Year is a remarkable story about family, and the relationship between Matthew and GG is wonderfully told. 5/5 Stars.

The Lost Year is being marketed as a middle grade historical fiction. I believe it would be suitable for adult readers as well.

Early days of Covid, Matthew is attending school online. His parents share custody of Matthew and his father is on a journalistic assignment in Paris and won't be home any time soon due to travel restrictions. Great-Grandmother GG is living with Matthew and his mother. What starts as a project to keep Matthew off his video games by helping GG sort her papers ends up being a firsthand lesson in history. The newspaper clippings and old letters show a family history of Ukraine in the 1930s. Millions of Ukrainian people died at the hands of Stalin and the Holodomor, the years of starvation.

Matthew learns about three cousins, Helen, whose family has emigrated from Ukraine - they are doing their best to survive the Great Depression. Helen knows that the reports on Ukraine in the New York newspapers are not accurate, but how to solve the problem. After all, she is just a kid.
Mila, in Kyiv, whose father is an official in Stalin's political party - they live very well. Nadiya, the third cousin, is the last surviving member of her family. The rest died of starvation. She comes seeking help from Mila's father who is her uncle, and is turned away. Mila resolves to help Nadiya.

This story will resonate with most, learning history firsthand as Matthew did and learning about parts of history that have rarely been taught. Kudos to Katherine Marsh.

I was many chapters in before I realized that GG (Great Grandmother) was telling the story of her life to Matthew, her grandson. Taking place in 2020, Matthew is separated from his Dad in Paris and kept at home with GG and his mom because of Covid. With no friends, school on Zoom, he is quite bored. His mom gives him the task of helpig GG with her boxes. They contain GG's life story which she has shared with no one, not even her daughter. It tells the tale of death in 1933 from the point of view of 3 girls. The story is of the Holodomor (famine) in Ukraine create by the Communist party in Russia. Base on Stories the author has learned from her own family.

This was an excellent book. Set in New Jersey at the start of the Pandemic, 13-year-old Matthew is stuck at home (along with everyone else). His parents are divorced but he is used to seeing his dad regularly. His journalist Dad has recently gone to France and as the book advances it becomes clear that he will not be able to come back to the States anytime soon (or will Matthew be able to visit him in the summer as he had planned). Everyone is taking health precautions, but Matthew really has to stay away from others because his mother has brought her grandmother (Matthew's great grandmother, GG) home to stay with them rather than at the care facility she had been in.
Bored out of his mind, Matthew sees a very old photo which is from the 1930s and his great grandmother is one of the girls in the photo. Matthew gets interested in finding out what it was all about although GG is not interested in telling him much. GG grew up in the Ukraine in the period after Stalin took over the country. This is an especially timely novel in light of the war of the Ukraine and the history of this time period is interesting and not that well known in the U.S. The ending comes with a twist and adds up to a fascinating novel.

This is an emotional and timely read about a time in history (the Holodomor, a great famine that killed millions of Ukrainians) that many people, especially young students, are unfamiliar with. Multiple viewpoints allow the reader to get a wider appreciation for the events unfolding. Matthew is a relatable character for the target audience, It's interesting to learn her grandmother's story along with him.

The Lost Year brought a spotlight to an historical event that many may be unaware of, the Holodomor, or starvation of the Ukrainian farm families in the 1930's. It casts a light on the courage of the Ukrainian people in the face of adversity that rings true today. The story is serious and heartbreaking, but is told with great care of its intended audience, and is totally fitting for middle grade readers.

The story is told by Matthew, a young man who is stuck at home during Covid with his mom and 100 year old grandmother who they are shielding from the pandemic. To bide their time, Matthew is helping his grandmother go through boxes of old mementos, which is where he discovers her family's experiences during the time of the Ukranian famine. The facts bring sadness and pain to his grandmother, and it takes a lot of time to get her to finally open up about her family's roles in the tragic events, and shows how propaganda and fear can put even family members on opposite sides of a tragedy.

The narration switches between Matthew in real time and relatives in the 1930's to help clarify the details of what actually occurred in the past, and toward the end there are some family secrets revealed. This was a well told story that will draw the reader along, and I will definitely recommend it to students who love historical fiction and care about the state of the world today.

Told in 3 voices, across 2 continents and in 2 different timelines. After finding a box of letters, journals and official papers, Matthew learns about the Ukrainian Famine of the 1930s from his 100 year old Great-Grandmother. It is a story of 3 cousins: Mila, Nadiya & Helen. This is a really good story that I believe students will enjoy. There is also surprise twist at the end that I did not see coming.
The author includes historical notes at the end along with pictures and stories from her own family. The author's website includes bonus materials and resources for educators.

The Lost Year focuses on two parallel stories: The Covid-19 pandemic and a young boy named Matthew and the story of 3 cousins in Russia/Ukraine and the United States in the 1930s. Throughout the story, Marsh weaves the stories of the many characters together in a seamless way. Each character has experienced tragedy: the loss of family, parent illness, and separation from those they love. Throughout the story, Matthew unlocks the secrets that have been buried in his family for decades and learns how a person finds the strength to survive.

Take one 13-year -old boy who is stuck at home during the Covid pandemic lock down, a 100-year-old great grandmother who lives with him and a father caught overseas and unable to come home. Mix in a frazzled mother and you can easily understand the situation from a 13-year-old's viewpoint. Assigned to help GG unpack her boxes of papers, photos and journals, Matthew discovers a hidden family secret that started in the 1930s. Three cousins, one a starving peasant and orphan in Ukraine, one the daughter of a privileged Soviet supporter living in luxury in Kyiv and one an immigrant in New York trying to survive. Matthew slowly draws their stories out of GG and along the way begins to understand that no matter how bad and alone he feels during this pandemic his "suffering" is nothing like what GG and her cousins went through in Soviet Ukraine. A story that will open the eyes of not only young readers to the Holomodor in 1930's Ukraine, but to adults as well. Considering current world events, this title should be required reading in every middle school social studies/history/current events class. Recommended.

“The Lost Year” is a middle grade novel by Katherine Marsh. It will be released on January 17, 2023. Add this book to your list to preorder!

I received an eARC from NetGalley, Roaring Book Press, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

At the heart, this is the story of family. A family that fought to survive. This book is told through multiple viewpoints across different timelines and through multiple characters. The present-day story is told through Matthew. He is at home with his mom and GG- his great grandma- during the pandemic. Matthew learns about his GG’s past through her memories, recollections, and stories- during the 1930s in the Ukraine. GG’s story told of Holodomor- a famine that killed millions of Ukrainians which the Soviet government under Stalin covered up.

I could not put this book down- start to finish- I was riveted. I know this story will stay with me. I highly recommend for upper elementary and middle school readers.

If you are a fan of Ruta Sepetyus, you will definitely love the historical fiction novel The Lost Year. Told from 3 viewpoints, the stories takes place in 2020 and the 1930's. It tells the story of Matthew who is taking are of his great grandmother who tells him stories about her past while they are in lockdown due to Covid-19. There is Helen who lives in New York in 1933. She is struggling to reveal the truth about what is going on in the USSR even though the news is reporting all is well. Lastly, Mila is a privledged daughter of the revolution in the USSR in 1933. She finds out about a cousin she never knew about and finds out that things aren't always as they seem. The grade level recommendation for this book should be grades 5-8 due to the graphic way starvation is described. The characters are all middle school aged also. Overall this book was well written and maintained my attention from start to finish. I enjoyed how each story was connected and of course the big twist at the end. I would gladly put this in the hands of my historical fiction readers especially those who drift toward World War 2 fiction.

This was such a thought provoking and timely story. I loved the way the author tied the entire story together and I really think preteens will love getting to know Nadiya, Mila, & Helen's story through the lens of Matthew.

Set during 2020 Covid and 1930s Ukraine, the story mixes three different perspectives. The characters are relatable and the story is engaging. It is a solid middle-grades novel.

In the early month of the Covid pandemic in 2020, when the present day great-grandson, Matthew, is tasked with helping his GG unpack her boxes, he discovers a shocking secret about her past that no one in his family besides his GG knows. The Lost Year is a hauntingly tragic story of three Ukrainian cousins who find each other in the midst of Holodomor -- a man-made famine in the Soviet Union that killed millions of Ukrainians during 1932-1933. I loved getting to see the perspectives of each cousin -- Mila, Helen, and Nadiya -- as well as experience our current pandemic through Matthew's eyes.

Katherine Marsh has made such a heartbreaking historical event accessible and relatable in a way I can't quite find the words to describe. I was captivated and devastated all at once. I can't wait for this to be published so I can share it with my students.

The Lost Year is such a relevant book. The world is focused today on the events in Ukraine. I must confess that I don’t really know much about it and its history. This novel is about what happened in the year 1932-1933 when the Holodomor took place. All that is known about it comes from letters, diaries, and personal recounts of that year of famine. The world is still examining the famine because it had been denied by Russia.
The current war there mirrors what is happening today in Ukraine. Russia killed thousands of people of a group they called “Kulaks.” They tried to take land from families and then they killed or tortured and imprisoned Kulaks who resisted . Albeit Russia was in control of Ukraine, eventually the Ukrainians were able to regain their land after Stalin’s rule. Today Putin is fixated on regaining leadership over this country that he feels Russia legally belongs to Russia and restoring old world order. Therefore, by reading about the Holodomor, we can better understand what is happening in Ukraine today and somewhat why it is happening.
The author, Katherine Marsh, could have told the story from only two of the characters from present day, which other authors have done, but she used flashbacks to 1933 and showed what happened to Mila, Helen, and Nadiya. The story was revealed through the efforts of Matthew as he interviewed his grandmother who lived it. (His work paralleled what Helen did in 1933.)
This book is well written. It was engaging from the beginning as I tried to learn the grandmother’s family secret. It is a book I will definitely encourage my friends to read.

The Lost Year is a fascinating and well plotted story set in dual timelines, one during the early months of the Covid pandemic, and the other set during the Great Depression and Stalin’s vile Holodomor , or starvation of the Ukrainian people, in Ukraine. The story is an excellent look at the effects of the Covid pandemic and the desperation of life under Stalin in the 1930’s.

Matthew is living through the isolation, boredom, and fear of the early months of the pandemic. When he games too much and loses his Switch, he begins spending time with his great grandmother and learns the story of her childhood in Ukraine and her immigration to the US.

The story is filled with historic detail, the multiple points of view that show the complexity of life in Ukraine under Stalin, and the gentle relationship between a boy and his aging relative.

Matthew learns the value of the life he has, respect for what people endured in history, and resilience through his GG’s memories. The author chooses to make statements that some families may disagree with, both about climate change and about the pandemic. While opinions vary on both topics, this story seems to rich, too important, and too often overlooked to pepper it with controversial topics that could make some parents or students put it down. Since the topics and references are not part of the story nor do they develop the plot, they seem like an intentional decision to politicize an otherwise wonderful story.

Matthew’s story and that of the Holodomor are worth reading, and they should be known and studied more than they are. Middle grade readers will find this is relaxant, enthralling, and lively story.

There is much to like about this historical fiction novel about the Ukranian famine of the 1930s at the hand of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. However, the story is seriously compromised by the constant intrusion of the modern Covid story which, try as the author may, does not relate.

The book opens with the 2020 story of Matthew in the early stages of the Covid pandemic. Schools have switched to remote learning and he's plain bored. His mother gives him the task of helping his great aunt go through some boxes. That's how he learns about the holodomor famine and his great aunt's connection to it.

The interesting part of the book, because the Covid part is not, is the story of three Ukranian cousins who do not know one another prior to the famine. Mila lives with her father in Kyiv. He's loyal to the Soviet leadership and is therefore doing well. Nadia is a Kulak, an ethnic group which is being persecuted by Stalin. She is the lone survivor in her family. Helen's family escaped the famine and immigrated to America, but have their own challenges with the Great Depression.

Nearly dead from starvation, Nadia's life intersects with both cousins in her desperation to get help. One family tries to help while the other turns her away. Mila must break through the wall of lies to learn the truth of her family's history and help Nadia. Helen knows the truth, but she must help the misguided journalists break through the same wall of lies.

The modern and historical stories collide through the great aunt who happens to be one of the three girls. The author leaves that unveiling until the end. The connection is weak. I would have rather the author dropped Matthew out of the story and instead included Nadia's voice. It's noticeably missing. I really wanted to know what it was like for her as her family was dying around her. Major shortcoming. Still liked it enough to give 3 stars.