Daybreak: A Novel

by Matt Gallagher

A disillusioned American veteran volunteers for the war in Ukraine to reconnect with a woman from his past in this timely and powerful novel from a “vital” (The Washington Post) voice in contemporary literature.

Thirty-three-year-old Luke “Pax” Paxton has been out of the US military for almost a decade, adrift in an America he no longer understands, haunted by a mistake made in an unforgiving moment of combat. When an old army friend suggests they travel to Ukraine to help fight against the Russian invasion, he agrees, and together they cross an ocean to Lviv, the City of Lions. But Pax isn’t merely going out of the goodness of his heart. He carries with him the address of a former love, a Ukrainian woman named Svitlana whom he had known as a young soldier and has been unable to forget.

His feverish journey through Lviv takes him down winding and missile-cratered streets as he forms surprising connections with everyone from humanitarian volunteers to displaced Ukrainians and ordinary citizens trying to survive. And when Pax gets the chance to save someone dear to Svitlana, he just might be able to correct the wrongs that have wracked him with guilt for so many years.

Inspired by the author’s time in Ukraine, Daybreak is a deeply moving love story, as well as an exploration of the struggle to find meaning and redemption in the midst of war.

Genres: War, Fiction, Contemporary

Audiobook

Published February 20, 2024

About the author

Matt Gallagher is a US Army veteran and the author of four books, including the novels Youngblood and Daybreak. His work has appeared in Esquire, ESPN, The New York Times, The Paris Review, and Wired, among other places. A graduate of Wake Forest and Columbia, he is the recipient of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, a Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Fellowship, a Sewanee Writers’ Conference Fellowship, and was selected as the 2022 Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum Writer-in-Residence. He lives with his family in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a timely book for me as I watch wars on television and hear rumors of wars over the radio. Two American ex-military men go to the Ukraine to volunteer. One goes with a hidden agenda of hoping to reconnect with a lost love. Here, war is ordinary and Mr. Gallagher portrays that life beautifully. Memorable. Sad.

My thanks to the author, Matt Gallagher, and to the publisher, Atria Books, for my Advance Reader's Edition of this book to be published on February 20, 2024. #Goodreads Giveaway

[Jennifer Croft · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, sensitive, deeply moving portrait of a lost American soul who chooses to face the devastating war in Ukraine not long after Russia’s invasion. Vivid and heartfelt, Daybreak was impossible to put down, and it has stayed with me ever since. Highly recommend to anyone with or without any prior knowledge of this or any other conflict.

[Savannah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! Really enjoyed reading.

[Jennifer Keniry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a Goodreads Giveaway. I typically read historical fiction/romance, but Daybreak’s Ukraine setting appealed to me. It took me a bit to get into it, but then it became a page turner. Even though I expected the ending, it still caught me by surprise. I wish it was 100 pages longer to really dive into the characters’ backstories… would love more on their Italian romance.

[Elvy Gerez · Rating 5 out of 5]

"DayBreak" is a poignant narrative set against contemporary global tensions, drawing readers into a world where the personal and the political collide with profound consequences. Without divulging too much, the novel crafts a story around Luke and Svetlana, whose lives intertwine during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The author adeptly navigates the complexities of human relationships against such a tumultuous backdrop, providing a commentary not just on the war but on the essence of human connection and the search for purpose amidst chaos.

The most striking theme of the novel is the pursuit of purpose. Through its characters, the story explores the myriad reasons that drive us to act—whether out of love, a sense of duty, or a quest for personal redemption. Luke's journey, in particular, reflects a profound meditation on our sacrifices and the ideals we hold dear, even as the narrative avoids offering simple resolutions or a traditionally 'happy' ending. Instead, the conclusion serves as a somber reflection on reality, the costs of war, and the enduring hope for understanding and reconciliation across cultural divides.

A standout moment for me was the profoundly human and realistic portrayal of Luke and Svetlana's relationship, highlighted by a poignant scene that underscores the complexity of reconnecting with someone from whom you've grown apart. This moment resonates as a stark reminder of the choices we face between desire and reality, touching on themes of identity, memory, and the evolving nature of love.

Reflecting on my own life and experiences, "Day Break" stirred a personal connection, echoing my journey through moments of loss, self-discovery, and the quest for closure. The narrative's exploration of these themes, set against the backdrop of a world in turmoil, invites readers to contemplate their paths and the intersections between personal history and the larger currents of world events.

Inspired by this read, I am now drawn to explore other works that delve into the complexities of war and the human spirit, including Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms." "DayBreak" has broadened my perspective on the narratives woven through the fabric of contemporary conflicts and motivated me to embrace further the essence of our shared human experience with empathy and depth.

[Steve Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just received my giveaway copy and I can't wait to delve into this intriguing story.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pax is a soldier who is lost in life and trying to make sense of what his past was. I didn't connect to the story.

Thank you Goodreads for a copy for my review.

[Gina Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this advanced copy in a Goodreads giveaway. If not for the giveaway, this book probably wouldn’t have caught my interest as war fiction just isn’t my cup of tea.
While the war between Russia and Ukraine isn’t a dominant interest of mine, this book did captivate my curiosity. The insights seemed honest and organic, the references to other wars sadly touching, and the general perspective in American involvement was interesting. Surprisingly to me, the love story was my least favorite aspect of the book.
Overall, this book will peak your interest on an American veterans perspective on war, PTSD, love, friendship and bravery.
Thank you to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but I never felt a connection to the characters. I wish the author had developed them in the beginning so that the ending would have been more impactful.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken from his time in the Afghanistan war, Luke Paxton travels with a military buddy, Han Lee to Ukraine with intentions to join the battle. When Lee is accepted for the fighting forces Pax is left behind in Lviv where he wants to help but doesn’t know how. He also wants to find a woman he fell in love with—Svitlana. Suffering from severe PTSD Pax has a myriad of coping mechanisms one of which features a bracelet that he fingers like one would prayer beads. This bracelet features throughout the story.

Pax finds Svitlana a different person than he knew without realizing how changed he is as well. Volunteering with an aid organization he worries about Lee when he hears the base has taken heavy fire and suffered casualties. Living with air raid sirens, drones, and missiles does his anxiety no favors.

In my mind this is more a story about the war than it is about the characters. It is an interesting comparison to the upcoming Kristin Hannah story about a Vietnam nurse wherein the characters are the central aspect of the story with the setting playing a close second. I probably would not have realized this difference in approach except I read them nearly back to back. Both tell very heartbreaking and difficult stories of two very different battles.

Thank you to @AtriaBooks and @SimonandSchuster for the #advancereaderscopy.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short moving novel. It’s a weird experience to read a book about a war that is ongoing but art is our best way to make sense of the senseless.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This means more than you know. That people like you still exist in this world.”
(A Bill McCloud Book Review)

I worked my sources and received an advance reader’s copy of Daybreak (248 pp. Atria Books $26.99), the highly-anticipated new novel from Matt Gallagher (Empire City, Youngblood). The book is scheduled to be published on 2/20/24. Gallagher, an Army veteran, is a recipient of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship. He recently covered events in Ukraine in a major article for Esquire magazine. This book follows a couple of still-young American veterans as they cross the border into Ukraine in an attempt to join up with the hodge-podge of military and civilian-turned-military forces pulling together to stand up against the Russian invasion. It’s the best thing I’ve read in 2023.

The story begins off-stage with thirty-three-year-old Luke (Pax) Paxton, a mechanic working for an AutoZone store in Tulsa, receiving a phone call from a buddy he had once served with. Han Lee suggests the two of them leave behind their quiet lives and make their way to Ukraine where they can feel alive again and stand beside the people there who are literally fighting for their lives. (“Here, it’s victory or death.”) The next thing we know the two are on a bus, heading toward a “strange new war… rumbling into an alien unknown.”

Lee once wrote on Facebook, “For what are we born if not to aid one another?” He seems to feel that his time in both Iraq and Afghanistan came to an end before he was actually through fighting. Pax (a name I’ll point out that can be read as a term suggesting a passenger, but also related to the word peace) had a reputation for keeping to himself in the military and seems to have developed a sullenness about him since that time. (“He’d always been a brooder.”) The two had served together in Afghanistan. (“The ‘Stan wasn’t much of a war but it was the one we got.”) The main thing drawing Pax to Ukraine is an attempt to reconnect with Svitlana Dovbush, a former love from the past.

The two men are pretty quickly split up with Lee likely headed toward combat and Pax wanting to find Svitlana, if she still lives in Lviv, and is still at the address he has for her that is several years old. Pax runs into a TV journalist who had seamlessly moved from a collapsing Afghanistan to the conflict in Ukraine. He tells Pax, “I met a veteran fresh from the front yesterday whose pupils cover his entire eyes. That’s a man I’d like to get on camera.”

Much of Gallagher’s writing comes with a perceptive rhythm that would be great to read out loud, as you can see here. … “In this part of the city, neither the season nor the war seemed an excuse for botanical sloppiness; tidy winter gardens pocketed the front of each of the buildings. Pax stopped at a bed of little tulips trying to emerge. The street was empty of other people but he could hear electronic music rumbling from some upper floor behind him. A cranky air vent moaned nearby. A sign next to a metal gate carried the marking ‘7A’ and behind the gate was a child’s scooter and above the scooter was a windowsill and in the windowsill sat a striped cat, lounging in the sun.”

With bold themes of desire, courage, love, forgiveness, and sacrifice, Matt Gallagher has written the first great military-inspired novel of this post-Global War on Terror era.

BILL McCLOUD is the author of The Smell of the Light: Vietnam, 1968-1969 and What Should We Tell Our Children About Vietnam?

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

War novels are not ordinarily my preferred genre, but I’m interested in the war in Ukraine, which is why I entered the Goodreads giveaway for this novel; I won, obviously, or I wouldn’t have read the book. I don’t regret reading it, but it was by no means my favorite. Three stars means “I liked it,” but I can’t say I liked it a lot.

Here’s what I liked most: the slices of life in war-torn Lviv. For example, there’s a lovely passage, a couple of pages, describing the Lviv train station. One bit: “As he entered the crush, he passed a man in a Red Cross vest and hat holding out a bin of stuffed animals for a little girl to choose from, and then saw the line of dozens of families waiting for the same. Across the path was another line for diapers. . . . He saw little dogs in carriers and hamsters in pockets and birds in cages and cats on leashes.” I have a feeling those couple of pages will stick with me.

Nice details there, but much of the time the book’s style got on my nerves. When it wasn’t describing things (generally effective) and was attempting to do narrative, it felt to me that it was trying too hard to be indirect and elliptical—supposedly “masculine prose.” And something that really got on my nerves is the contraction “it’d” as in “It’d been given to him ten years before and he’d held on to it ever since.” What is wrong with the word “had”? The antecedent for the “it” in that sentence, by the way, is withheld for a few subsequent sentences and even then only partially revealed, just the kind of coy indirectness that annoyed me.

Pretty much all the overt military stuff left me cold—as I say, not my genre—and I found the machismo of most of the male characters extremely grating. Perhaps I was supposed to, but if so, that could have been clearer. It certainly didn’t feel like satire. I did appreciate the ambivalence about, well, pretty much everything, felt by the protagonist, Luke Paxton (“Pax”—no doubt an intentional pun). Pax is an Afghanistan war veteran dealing with PTSD.

I mostly didn’t much care about the love story, which is so incompletely told that it didn’t come alive for me: I don’t know why Pax wants to see this woman so badly—and, interestingly enough, neither does she. I’m not sure he does either. Not knowing what the characters want or why makes it hard to identify with the characters or become engaged with the plot.

On the other hand, I did like the final episode of the book when Pax joins a rescue mission: you know what everyone wants; you know why; you know what the barriers are to achieving the goals (the Russian military, plus a decrepit vehicle). During that part of the book, I was fully engaged, and I also found the denouement fully appropriate, which is all I’ll say about that.

For the 52-book challenge, using for the prompt published in 2024. Would work for lower case letters on the spine, a grieving character, cover without people on it, published in a year of the dragon, and time frame spans a week or less (I think).

For the Flourish & Blotts NEWTS challenge, using for the prompt, Skelegrow (a book that includes something broken). Would also work for Dementors (a book that includes a kiss), Tea Leaves (includes gossip), Devils Snare (a risky situation), Whomping Willow (a hard-hitting book), and Giant Wars (includes a war).

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars- very close to a 5 star book. Succinctness plus deep nuance and the clear prose flow were 5 stars. And NOT in trite repetitive language either. Roads "lurched" down to the square etc. Very well done for word/ description choosing.

This was a book I picked up totally serendipity of the month from the hardcover design and a brief flap read.

It was a very accurate depiction and deep characterization on 3 or 4 counts (characters clear) for me. Reading other reviews (rarely do I do this but most often in a serendipity random read)- I am flummoxed by the readers who don't get the Pax connective. Cozy lives? Well, quite different correlations to mine. Possibly because I've lived most periods of my life surrounded by vets or war warriors of every ilk (even ones who never wanted to be) perhaps? But did I get him (Pax) and Lee and the Unknown and the murky within. They the protectors and strikers most often hold motives and self-identity confused in just that manner scripted here. For eons upon afterwards too- some more than 40 or 50 years afterwards. And perhaps never called PTSD either. Gallagher was masterful to grabbing it. And the walls of disillusions /nihilistic anger abounding of this modern era all around- as well. Evil operates, and protection is necessary from it. It will continue to be.

I'll read others of his. Wartime as wartime is and becomes and also was. Bravo!

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to keep this review brief. Daybreak tells the story of a U.S. veteran, Luke Paxton, who volunteers to fight on behalf of Ukraine following the invasion by Russia. He isn't, however immediately assigned to work as a soldier and struggles to decide what his role in this country is and what he can do to make a positive contribution. His uncertainty about purpose and action didn't begin with his arrival in Ukraine. He's been rootless since leaving the U.S. army.

There's also a complication. Part of the reason Paxton has come to Ukaine is that he hopes to make contact with Svitlana, a Ukrainian woman he met ten years earlier when he was assigned to a base in Italy and Svitlana was taking a gap year to travel in Europe.

Ultimately, Daybreak is less a novel about the conflict in Ukraine and more a novel about a man attempting to find a sense of meaning in a world he finds meaningless. That's not a criticism, just a statement of fact. If you enjoy novels that explore questions of individual identity and purpose, you'll find Daybreak a satisfying read. If you're looking to read a novel depicting the current situation in Ukraine, you're apt to leave it feeling like you've been served a dish that isn't quite a full meal.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daybreak by Matt Gallagher follows a disaffected former U.S.soldier as he joins the Ukraine’s fight against Russia. It is recommended. Luke “Pax” Paxton has been out of the US military for almost a decade when he agrees to follow his fellow veteran, Han Lee, to the Ukraine in winter 2022 in order to help in some way. Pax also hopes to find a former lover, Svitlana, in Lviv. He finds Svitlana, who is married with a son, while also finding ways to assist others by working unloading supplies. Pax struggles with PTSD as he tries to help to somehow atone for his role in past wars.

The real main character is the conflict, the war itself, which effects everyone in the novel, physically, psychologically, and historically. Pax is a man who is searching for meaning and a purpose in life. He thinks it will be found in a war zone and that somehow assisting in another war will help him find purpose and meaning in his life. He also seems to think finding Svitlana will provide him with a sense of purpose and peace. The plot mainly unfolds through the point-of-view of Pax and I found it very difficult to connect with him as a character. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...

[Bekki Shining Bearheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was deeply moved by this book

The story line engaged me from the beginning- I truly believe that the war in Ukraine is going decide European history for the next 20-13 years, and whether another pan-European war will follow or not. It is extremely timely.

However when I came across it in the library, I didn't expect the impact it would have on me. In fact,I read the first 15 pages and thought,"I can't do this', and set it on the kitchen table to go back to the library. It sat there for 2 weeks or more, and eventually made its way to my car. But every time I meant to take it back to the library, it kept calling to me, and finally I took it back in the house and read it in just 2 sessions.

I feel like it is one of the rawest, most psychologically insightful, most honest and hardest-hitting stories I have read. And I read a lot of very good authors- Charles Todd, Jacqueline Winspear, and others who have mastered the art of storytelling that is profoundly real.

His characters are real people, and stay with you, and he really understands PTSD.

It affected me so much I had to immediately write this review.

[Matt Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obviously biased but this is my fourth book and the first one that I can say came out the way I'd first envisioned it. I'm most grateful to many friends, American and Ukrainian, who helped me along the way here. DAYBREAK is fiction, but very much rooted in real events and how Russia's unjust war on Ukraine has upended everyday people's lives.

If you're interested, here's some of the journalism I've done from Ukraine that informed the story of DAYBREAK:

"Notes from Lviv," Esquire, March 2022

Notes from Lviv

"The Secret Weapons of Ukraine," Esquire, February 2023


The Secret Weapons of Ukraine


"My Advice for American Veterans Who Want to Get on a Plane to Ukraine," The New York Times, April 2022

My Advice for American Veterans Who Want to Get on a Plane to Ukraine

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Goodreads Giveaway Win*

I had a hard time connecting with this book. Not because of the story, which I like, but because of the writing style. The thoughts and conversations of the main character either did not resonate with me or simply did not make sense. He'd respond to other people in ways that baffled me. I'd find myself thinking, "who would respond that way?"; or, "no one talks like that?"; or "what a weird connection to make". Maybe Matt Gallagher intended this because this was a novel about a war veteran and he was trying to demonstrate how war abnormalizes the human mind. I would commend this approach but, at least on a surface level, it kept me from enjoying the book.

I'll say this. I enjoyed the setting of the book. I was fascinated by the alien-world of war-time Ukraine. Matt Gallagher to a great job establishing a sense of place.

[Ella Droste · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deeply moving portrait of bravery. It's so heartfelt and captivating! Once you get into it, this book becomes a page-turner, and you will not be able to put it down.

The story follows Pax, a veteran who joins the fight in Ukraine against Russia. The perspective you're offered is captivating, and it will definitely peak your interest. The descriptions are vivid and sad, and they will stay with you for a long time.

You will find themes of courage, sacrifice, and love here, making this a great book to get your hands on.

I would like to express my gratitude for having received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new release set in Ukraine is more on the gritty side than many of my usual reads. How can it not be? Our main character, Pax, is in a country at war and looking for a woman connected to his past deployment in Afghanistan. When you pick up this book do not expect a happy ending. What you will get is real and heartbreaking and honest. What it reminds me to do is count my blessings. With a son and family in the Baltic states, what is happening in Ukraine is not so far away. May God bring an end to that war sooner than later and give Ukraine peace.

Thank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kyle Seibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gallagher pulls off an extraordinary trick with this absolute ripper of a novel. It’s a love story, it’s a war story, it’s about the redemptive power of joy in the midst of horror, it’s reportage, it’s cinematic, it’s funny, it’s relevant, it’s fearless—it’s all these things and yet also more.

The author is a military veteran but you don’t need to read the bio in the back to understand that. It’s on every page. Maybe it’s not something people who haven’t served can pick up on, but I for one was deeply moved by the tenderness of this portrayal. Will be thinking about this book for a long time.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A timely and topical character driven novel set in the middle of the war in Ukraine. Pax, struggling with PTSD in the wake of his service in the US military, can not shake his memory of Svitlana, a Ukrainian woman he loved and lost. And so, he heads to Lviv. Svitlana's married, her husband is fighting, and she's got a clear eyed view of their past. This is both more and less than you might expect from the set up but know that it's a quiet novel about coping with the effects of war. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A good read.

[Brett Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book! Matt does a fantastic job putting us on the ground in wartorn Ukraine in a story that's both heartbreaking in its brutality and hopeful in its portrayal of the resilient Ukrainian people. The main character, Luke Paxton, is a spot-on portrayal of a generation of veterans scarred by war and then left to wander the civilian unknown, forever seeking a place and purpose that can rival what they used to have. Part love story, part redemption story, readers of all stripes will find something to love about this novel. Highly recommend!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. This was a quick read, got it done in one afternoon. It almost reads more like a novella, very interesting characters, but not much development. I found myself wanting more background and history, especially on Luke. And, the mental health aspect could have been developed. Just a fact check, duloxetine is an antidepressant, it doesn't have an immediate effect, so taking more wouldn't do anything in the moment. However, I work in mental health, so these details stick out to me.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway.

This story was a relatively quick read, despite the heavier topics it’s focusing on. The love story in this fell kind of flat for me in general, and I feel it could have done without it. (It wasn’t terrible, but I just didn’t feel that connection with it either.) Overall I’m glad to have gotten the chance to read something I probably wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.

[Brooke]

This one is strongly about war and the after effects. I think you’d need to enjoy that type of novel to love this one. For me it hit close to home as my husband is a disabled combat veteran so I have a glimpse of what it’s like. I think the author did a great job with this one. It is a bit heavy. This is more a novel about the characters exploration of ones worth and sense of self and trying to find meaning in this world.

[Julian Zabalbeascoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Daybreak, through multiple points of view, Gallagher puts into human drama what the stakes are for the free world. “This fight belongs to us all,” one of the novel’s Ukrainian characters says. “It will find us all.”

I was lucky enough to interview Matt Gallagher about Daybreak for Electric Literature. You can read the interview here: https://electricliterature.com/matt-g...

[Kayla Wiklanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping story of an American veteran who volunteers to go to Ukraine to help in the time of war. He also has an address of a woman he had spent some time with while in the military. The story shares heart wrenching situations of what it's like during an invasion. A book that is hard to put down. Highly recommend.

[Rex Reads 📚📖⚔️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very thrilling and leaving me on the edge of my seat. From the start of the book to the end it is full of action and drama. These are the types of books that really help capture real world problems. An eye opening book for many people could help shape the way others think when it’s not on our own home turf. Truly brilliantly written.