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Crossing the Border
Ksenia Rychtycka’s debut collection Crossing the Border illuminates moments of tragedy and triumph, personal discovery and disillusionment, spotlighting characters who, in one form or another, learn to move forward with their lives. Stymied by the lack of progress and change in post-communist Ukraine, Valeriy the artist finds he is unable to paint. Anna is a lonely woman who attends strangers’ weddings to offer a curious gift. The arrival of a wayward parakeet
during the 2004 Orange Revolution forces an elderly woman into action. These nine stories—set in Ukraine, the United States and Greece—highlight universal conflicts and dilemmas, along with the uncertainties and complexities of change, and introduce a strong new voice in storytelling.
during the 2004 Orange Revolution forces an elderly woman into action. These nine stories—set in Ukraine, the United States and Greece—highlight universal conflicts and dilemmas, along with the uncertainties and complexities of change, and introduce a strong new voice in storytelling.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Ksenia Rychtycka
3 books16 followersKsenia Rychtycka is a first-generation Ukrainian-American writer. Her chapbook A SKY FULL OF WINGS won the 2022 Eric Hoffer Book Award and the 2022 Best Book Award (American Book Fest) in the Poetry Chapbook category and was shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize. The book also was a da Vinci Eye winner for cover design and selected as a finalist in the 2020 New Women's Voices Chapbook competition (published by Finishing Line Press).
Her debut collection of short stories CROSSING THE BORDER was selected as a finalist in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the category of Short Story - Fiction. Ksenia's work has appeared in The Dalhousie Review, The Literary Bohemian, Fusion Magazine, Ukrainian American Poets Respond, Alaska Quarterly Review, and elsewhere.
Ksenia worked as an editor in Ukraine during the early years of the post-Soviet era. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago.
Her debut collection of short stories CROSSING THE BORDER was selected as a finalist in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the category of Short Story - Fiction. Ksenia's work has appeared in The Dalhousie Review, The Literary Bohemian, Fusion Magazine, Ukrainian American Poets Respond, Alaska Quarterly Review, and elsewhere.
Ksenia worked as an editor in Ukraine during the early years of the post-Soviet era. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 8, 2013
This is the first book I received through the First Reads Giveaway from Goodreads. What an amazing introduction to a wonderful program! The stories crossed geographical borders, but also cultural and emotional ones. The dialog was spare but so eloquent that it catches your breath and steals your heart. You feel the pain of the characters, their joy and disenchantment and you want to reach out, hold them and engage in conversation. The descriptions of the settings draw you in as though you are intimately part of the story. This was an awesome introduction to the work of Ksenia Rychtycka. If you haven’t read any of her work, you owe it to yourself to do so. You’ll find yourself revisiting the stories long after you’ve put the book aside. Savor these stories as you would a fine wine!
March 3, 2013
I have long been a fan of Rychtycka's writing, which is precise, subtle and powerful. Though many of the stories in this collection are related in setting, time and events, each one is peopled with unique, compelling characters you will remember long after you've read about them. This collection of stories demonstrates a writer at her peak. Don't miss it!
December 23, 2012
How to summarize Ksenia Rychtycka's writing style? Think Ukrainian Jhumpa Lahiri. Gringa Junot Diaz. Gentile Gary Shteyngart. Get your hands on this book and devour the tales of culture, loss, hope, and freedom. You will be so glad that you did!Ksenia Rychtycka
August 27, 2016
The stories in "Crossing the Border" offer a glimpse into the lives of various Ukrainians in the years leading up to and immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union. I enjoyed reading about the spectrum experiences of Ukrainians who made divergent choices at the end of WWII: those who fled to America, those who stayed and sheltered a fierce nationalist pride, and those who gently assimilated into changing environments.
Drawing on her experiences growing up in Detroit's Ukrainian-American community, and years living in Ukraine during times in which the stories in "Crossing the Border" take place, the author weaves realistic, heart-touching stories: Vera returns home and is reunited with her cousin, Sefko after a 47 year separation, and each strives to explain and understand choices made; Luba is burying a husband who died under suspicious circumstances; Lesia leaves an unfaithful husband in Ukraine to work in America, and engages in her own affair. Each character comes alive, drawing the reader in to his or her struggles, sadness, and joy.
I have been waiting for a book portrays contemporary Ukrainian experiences for a long time. I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this book, and consider it a must read for immigrants and the children of immigrants who wish to understand the the plight and choices of Ukrainian people in recent history.
I'll end with a passage from the story, "The Artist."
"Maybe it's not like we dreamed it, but this is how our lives are now. This is how Ukraine is now."
"How do you do it, Nadia?" Valerij asked. "It seems so easy for you. You never let go of your dreams."
"Maybe it's not as bad as you think,"she said. "If you're real lucky, you find someone to grab on to, and they you just keep on going."
Drawing on her experiences growing up in Detroit's Ukrainian-American community, and years living in Ukraine during times in which the stories in "Crossing the Border" take place, the author weaves realistic, heart-touching stories: Vera returns home and is reunited with her cousin, Sefko after a 47 year separation, and each strives to explain and understand choices made; Luba is burying a husband who died under suspicious circumstances; Lesia leaves an unfaithful husband in Ukraine to work in America, and engages in her own affair. Each character comes alive, drawing the reader in to his or her struggles, sadness, and joy.
I have been waiting for a book portrays contemporary Ukrainian experiences for a long time. I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this book, and consider it a must read for immigrants and the children of immigrants who wish to understand the the plight and choices of Ukrainian people in recent history.
I'll end with a passage from the story, "The Artist."
"Maybe it's not like we dreamed it, but this is how our lives are now. This is how Ukraine is now."
"How do you do it, Nadia?" Valerij asked. "It seems so easy for you. You never let go of your dreams."
"Maybe it's not as bad as you think,"she said. "If you're real lucky, you find someone to grab on to, and they you just keep on going."
May 25, 2016
I enjoyed Ksenia Rychtycka’s Crossing the Border on a number of levels. As an author myself, I appreciated her writing style, concise and to the point, along with her wonderful descriptive phrases, as evidenced in “The Bell Tower,” when a rumor wasn’t repeated aloud but “was something that was spoken of quietly in whispers that snaked through the town.”
The nine stories in this collection drew me into a place and a world with which I wasn’t familiar: Ukraine in the years preceding and following the fall of the Soviet Union. What makes these tales so fascinating is the fact that Rychtycka gives us a glimpse into that world not simply by recounting historical events, but by introducing us to a number of well-drawn characters whose lives, one way or another, have been impacted by those events. I also appreciated the symmetry of the color orange. In “Homecoming,” the first story in the book, Vera picks up a burnt orange pebble at the end as she leaves her old home behind, while in “Orange in Bloom,” the final story, orange is the “new color,” one that symbolizes a beginning.
I recommend Crossing the Border to anyone who enjoys “slice of life” stories that entertain while also educating the reader, a feat few authors seem to manage these days.
The nine stories in this collection drew me into a place and a world with which I wasn’t familiar: Ukraine in the years preceding and following the fall of the Soviet Union. What makes these tales so fascinating is the fact that Rychtycka gives us a glimpse into that world not simply by recounting historical events, but by introducing us to a number of well-drawn characters whose lives, one way or another, have been impacted by those events. I also appreciated the symmetry of the color orange. In “Homecoming,” the first story in the book, Vera picks up a burnt orange pebble at the end as she leaves her old home behind, while in “Orange in Bloom,” the final story, orange is the “new color,” one that symbolizes a beginning.
I recommend Crossing the Border to anyone who enjoys “slice of life” stories that entertain while also educating the reader, a feat few authors seem to manage these days.
June 1, 2016
Crossing the Border is a collection of nine short stories, mostly centering on the lives of Ukrainian characters. Each story comes across as quite personal and heartfelt, and I found the author’s words to be poignant and full of emotion.
Although my life could not be more different from the characters in these stories, I was able to connect with them on a personal level. Ms. Rychtycka’s writing is intelligent and touching. I was surprised to learn that this is her first book. Her style is engaging and beautifully descriptive.
There’s a note of sadness to much of the book, but these are people who have been deeply affected by the ravages of war so that’s to be expected. The author has taken a terrible part of history and made it more personal by giving us glimpses through the eyes of her characters. Yet, despite the note of sadness, Ms. Rychtycka has managed to portray them as resilient and optimistic.
If you enjoy reading stories about everyday people who are able to triumph over tragedy then you’ll love this book. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Rychtycka books in the future!
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Although my life could not be more different from the characters in these stories, I was able to connect with them on a personal level. Ms. Rychtycka’s writing is intelligent and touching. I was surprised to learn that this is her first book. Her style is engaging and beautifully descriptive.
There’s a note of sadness to much of the book, but these are people who have been deeply affected by the ravages of war so that’s to be expected. The author has taken a terrible part of history and made it more personal by giving us glimpses through the eyes of her characters. Yet, despite the note of sadness, Ms. Rychtycka has managed to portray them as resilient and optimistic.
If you enjoy reading stories about everyday people who are able to triumph over tragedy then you’ll love this book. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Rychtycka books in the future!
http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2022
A few of these stories had me in tears - thank you for bringing these people to life.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews