"I Will Show You How It Was" is an evocative and deeply personal narrative that resonated with me, especially as someone born in Ukraine but raised in the U.S. The book dives into the complexities of identity, memory, and cultural heritage, weaving together stories that feel both familiar and revealing.

What struck me most was how the author captures the tension between holding onto the past and adapting to new realities—a theme that hit close to home for me. There’s an authenticity in the way the book portrays the Ukrainian experience, blending nostalgia with the challenges of navigating cultural duality.

At times, I found myself reflecting on my own upbringing, how much I identify with certain traditions, and what it means to balance those roots with a life shaped in a different country. The book doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties, but it also highlights the resilience and beauty of the human spirit.

If you’re someone who values heartfelt storytelling and cultural introspection, this is a read that will leave you thinking long after you finish. It’s not just a story; it’s an invitation to explore your own narrative.

The war in Ukraine was unavoidable for anyone paying attention back in 2022. But the snippets that made it on national and local news were just that snippets, not the broader picture. Illia Ponomarenko, a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, offers the reader a much fuller and richer experience of what was happening in Ukraine and especially Kyiv during the first months of the Russian invasion.

Illia Ponomarenko opens the book with being embedded with the 72nd Mechanized Brigade on a patrol outside Kyiv in March 2022. His remembrance of earlier times spent with this unit in the Donbas area duing 2017 and other years sets the context for the most recent Russian invasion. Ponomarenko then takes you back to December 2021 and sets the stage letting you in on how life in Kyiv was before the war and what people were ding and thinking. He guides the reader through the time before the invasion and then the opening days in February and March when all was confusion and chaos. Ponomarenko, his mother, and his roommate fled to western Ukraine and stayed with Illia;s girlfriend's parents. But after a couple of days, Ponomarenko and his roommate Ivan return to Kyiv. Ponomarenko continues reporting for the Kyiv Independent media service visiting the front-lines when possible, but also providing background information and home-front stories as well. He brings the book to a close in May 2022 after Kyiv has been saved.

In I Will Show You How It Was, Illia Ponomarenko provides a first-person account of the opening days of the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. This title will be of interest to anyone interested in Ukraine, recent European events, or life in a war zone. A story that everyone should read!

Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the chance to read this title

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began, I have been constantly following Illia Ponomarenko's Twitter feed. This young journalist has provided me not only with the most accurate information, but also with an emotion-packed commentary on what is happening on the ground. I admire not only his courage and fortitude, but also his way with words. And now I have a boatload of it.

It is a strange experience to read a book about a war that is still unfolding and its fate still to be determined. But that makes it all the more important to pay attention. Ponomarenko gives us first-hand observations from the front lines, but also paints a broader geopolitical picture. I hope this book will become an instant classic.

Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

An excellent story of the opening days of the War in Ukraine. The details are not spared and readers should be prepared for a complete account of the lead up to and the first days of the war. The writer does an excellent job of providing a first hand account of the stories that are told for other people as well as the writers own.

I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv by Illia Ponomarenko is a personal account of the events leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the early weeks of the war. Mr. Ponomarenko is a journalist working for The Kyiv Independent. His writing style is informal and accessible which adds to the authenticity of his descriptions. Throughout the memoir, excerpts from key political speeches and other sources are cited. This brings an important element of credibility to Mr. Ponomarenko's accounts of the circumstances. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is eager to gain a firsthand perspective of the war in Ukraine. In addition to being a useful and readable account of the war for those wanting to learn more about the present situation, this book will be a very valuable source of primary literature to those studying this war in the future. My only feedback is that book is written for someone who has a basic understanding of Ukrainian geography and history. This book may be difficult to follow by individuals with no background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2024, anyone who is following the news will have that required background.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.