Your Presence Is Mandatory

Wow! A new favorite. I’m a sucker for WWII books and this is one of the best I’ve ever read. So much work went into this book & I hope that everyone has a chance to read it.

Your Presence is Mandatory is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. It provides a unique perspective in a very crowded field of WWII stories in historical fiction. This journey is heart-breaking and thrilling in equal measure, due to both the war narrative and the later family dynamics that pepper the book as a counter-balance. The truly beautiful and impactful piece of this novel is that it is a soldiers story, a Jewish person's story, but it is also the story of his family around him, as history and decisions made reverberate throughout their lives.

I was so captivated by this novel and have no hardy critiques. The writing is lovely, but clear and straightforward. The flow is dynamic yet heartfelt enough to be savored. It felt particularly significant to receive anecdotal glimpses of the past connections and disconnections between Ukraine and Russia, particularly with what the World is watching today. I found the themes of guilt, betrayal, the pressure we put on ourselves, and put on us by others to be masterfully woven into this story. Your Presence is Mandatory will clench your stomach, break your heart, but it will also open your eyes. To me, those are the best kinds of stories.

Historical fiction has the power to make history come alive. Your Presence is Mandatory is an epic novel that sheds light on the different way USSR treated their own soldiers who were captured by the enemy and held as POWs. As we follow Yerim Shulman throughout his life, a different picture emerges of life before, during, and after WWII for a Jewish Ukrainian man and his family. It’s a life that’s hard to imagine amid the comforts of our 21st century homes with all our conveniences and privileges. For me, that’s just one of the reasons this book is a must read. It’s dark and sad, but it’s a window to the present in Ukraine.

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

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

Your Presence is Mandatory is a powerful debut work of literary and historical fiction. At its heart it is a story of survival and the human spirit. Spanning from WWII to the present day conflict in Ukraine, one family, and particularly the man who would become the patriarch of the family, Yefim, must make choices to survive and decide where their true loyalties lie, to a country, to each other, to themselves. Please give this one a try! You won’t be disappointed!

The blurb on Netgalley opens with the description. "A riveting debut..." Is it riveting? ABSOLUTELY. It has been a long time since I have been so consumed by a book that I will forgo food and drink because I cannot be bothered. This book is an utterly enthralling, story about a young man during WWII and the secrets he keeps that affect his family generations later. It is a stunning tour-de-force, and I defy anyone who begins reading it to be able to stop. Timely, fascinating, and emotional, I loved every second of it. All the stars!!!

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley. A novel about the experience of a Ukrainian Jew during WW2, , the book’s emotional power reminded me of my experience reading Jerry Kizinki’s novel The Painted Bird. Written by a first-time novelist after discovering papers written by her grandfather after his death. It describes a young man’s induction into the Soviet army shortly before the invasion by Germany - focusing first on his pride in defending Russia from the German invasion and then on his fight to survive after escaping with his life after the total destruction of his artillery unit by the Luftwaffe. While he escaped with his life, he survived the war as a German POW before escaping and working in German-occupied territory. While he escapes with his life, he loses his brothers, sisters, and father during the war. Emotionally devastated and then sent to Siberia since Stalin regarded POW’s as an embarrassment to his regime. The protagonist is embarrassed by the manner in which he survived the war and holds his secret from his family almost until the moment of his death.

The book manages to also touch on Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Donbas region of Ukraine. All in all, I strongly recommend this book highly both to people curious about WW2 as well as understanding the Russian perspective of Ukraine personified first by Stalin and currently by former KGB member and current dictator Vladimir Putin.