This was my first book by Tetyana, and I am looking forward to reading her other ones.
I have always loved historical fiction novels and how they draw me into the time period, feeling the emotions of the characters, the fear, pride, and strength .
Tetyana has done this with her latest novel.
It's a captivating story that all historical fans should read.

Thank you to Bookature and Netgally for the advanced copy.
Publication date July 10th 2923

Thrilling and utterly compulsive! An incredible read, impossible to put down. Incredible storytelling! Recommend you read this book! A captivating story that I was drawn into from the first page a propulsive read that never let me go from start to finish!
For fans of historical storytelling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book by this author I've picked up and while I still need to read The Child of Ukraine ,I can see why alot of people love her historical fiction, and you can say I'm now one of them . And here's why for those who don't know it I love reading historical fiction based WW 2 stories especially if their done right and before you ask here's what I look for in them :
Author has done their job by pulling at your emotions and make you feel everything their characters felt ,from the tears they cried, to the fear they had , as well as the strength they showed in the face of death or danger. They also have to bring their characters to life as well as the history and locations their talking about and that what this author has done . By showing you what it was like for Katya who was forced to leave her son behind and go work in a labor camp , not known if or when she'll ever see her son again, as well as what it was like after her time there and what it was like for her son , it's a book you have to check out .

This was my first book by Tetyana Denford. I picked this to read because of the cover, the title, and the synopsis. It ended up being...different than I imagined it would be. The book takes place during a few times--but roughly all around WW2 in the Ukraine. This is at the time when it was unsure who was the enemy--Nazi's or Russia?

I expected this to be a story of Alexander (the soldier's child) but it was a rather convoluted story of Katya (Alexander's mother), AND Alexander. It felt a bit disjointed as it moved around from time to person. The following of Katya to the Gulag was heartwrenching...but it really jumped from her immediate arrival to suddenly 5-12 years later.

The ending was fairly well executed...but all in all, the story just didn't hit me. I felt like skipping pages at times.

I'm giving it 3 stars. It was just so-so.

**This was an ARC I received from NetGalley. I wasn't asked to write a positive review and all my opinions were my own!

Katya, the war, and her child are important characters in this book. Yes…the war is an important part of this historical fiction. It has changed the dynamics of Katya’s life. Now she wants to find her son. That might not be possible. This talented author has written a page turner. Historical fiction that is difficult to put down. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author.