Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary
Thank you to St. Martins Group and Net Galley for this review copy of an amazing memoir of Victoria Amelina set during the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict. Amelina began her research, wrote several complete and informative chapters before her death as a result of a bombing. Her notes, chapter fragments and completed chapters gathered together resulted in this book.
The incomplete paragraphs and sentences are a stark reminder of an unfinished life. The content records current history on average people, some of whom might have influenced Ukrainian history and culture. The people try to life life as normal while acknowledging the war; Amelina carried a backpack go-bag most places, people hid personal valuables to save from the bombings, and friends and family met at restaurants and homes as normally as possible.
The writing style is as readable as a fictional story but the content is all too real.
Highly recommended to any reader interested in current affairs and the daily frustrations a war brings to average women. It is both sad and uplifting.

This is worth reading alone on the merit of its first person, boots on the ground access and perspective on the war in the Ukraine. The book is only bolstered with the fact that its author was killed while writing it, and it was published unfinished, exactly as the author left it. I found it almost more impactful in it's in-process form; I felt like I was almost reading in the present tense and was entirely caught off guard by the abrupt ending, despite understanding that it was coming from page one.

There's not much more to say other than this is a great first-person account of a war that you hear about on the news but can hardly imagine, even if you're actively paying attention. It's absolutely essential to understanding the conflict, and forces the reader to confront the regular people who are caught in the crossfire. Victoria is an author, and an accomplished one at that, but she's also a mother and a person whose life was ended because of forces out of her control.

Five stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is timely with Ukraine battling the hostile war against Russia. Victoria Amelina, author of four books, stopped what she was doing to document the struggles of those affected by the severe conditions.

Sadly, on July 1, 2023, her life at 37 ended with a missile that injured 64 people. She died before her war manuscript was completed. However, with some edits, her document is now able to reach a large audience with the harsh truth of what has been happening behind the lines.

This book conveys just how horrible life has been for those scrambling to survive. It reveals how some have evacuated, starved, been captured, beaten and died. It’s a grim picture of what they have endured with fear, pain, hate and torture on their minds and bodies.

In Ukraine, one person said, “My neighbors lost everything but I still have my books.” This puts everything in perspective with what possessions have meaning. They are now in a country with destroyed bridges, museums, libraries, hospitals and a shortage of medical workers.

It’s not an easy book to digest knowing that so many are in the midst of an escapable dire situation. There’s not a phone line where they can ask for help. Ukrainians can stock up on food supplies, water and a generator yet, they know they can still get killed from explosions.

Margaret Atwood’s short introductory gives readers the candid truth of the harsh reality that the Russians have placed on the Ukrainians. It’s an important book and it ends with a meaningful poem. Victoria Amelina said, “Whenever a writer is still being read, it means they are still alive.”

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of February 18, 2025.

Not much to say, yet everything to say. This is a powerful account of a mother, a hero, a writer, and more. I did not know going into it what the book would leave me with. It shakes up your thinking; it makes you want to take action. Well done. Brave. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

fantastic primary source with a lot of detail on the horrific effects of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Due to the tragic death of the author, it is unfinished. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Looking at Women Looking at War by Victoria Amelina is a book with a fascinating premise. The book is the journal of a Ukrainian writer cover her own experiences of the Russian invasion as well as the experiences of other female writers involved in various types of resistance. The brave women described in this book venture into battle zones to record and document war crimes. I learned a lot about these remarkable women and the horrific realities of life in Ukraine.

The author of the book was killed and this book is incomplete. The first part of the book is fully written. However, as the book continues there are many sections of raw notes. This book is a true example of a primary document which is of great value. The editors of the book do a very nice job pulling together journal entries and placing them into a logical order. Nonetheless, the fragmented second half of the book is challenging to follow due to the very short passages.

I recommend this book as an outstanding example of a primary source but readers should know that it does not read like a complete story due to the tragic death of the author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.