Honor

by Susan McClelland, Nataliia Mariichyn

Told from dual perspectives, this remarkable true story for YA readers recounts the tale of two individuals—a Ukrainian teen in the early 2010s and a Jewish boy in hiding during WWII—whose lives are entwined through a box of letters.

Nataliia, a teenager in Ukraine, is at home when she makes a puzzling a box of letters written from a Jewish boy, Eliezer, about his experience during the Holocaust. At first, Nataliia doesn't understand why her family possesses Eliezer's letters. But as she reads through them, she is able to piece together a fascinating connection—her ancestors were the ones who sheltered Eliezer during the war. Decades later, Nataliia and Eliezer’s family find each other in the same orbit again—as the world faces conflicts anew.

This is the incredible true story of two families brought together through war and a girl’s discovery of her family’s past—and what it means for the future.

Genres: Young Adult, Jewish, Fiction, World War II, Historical Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published June 9, 2026

Reviews

[vxmpslibrary [hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

.4.45 stars.
- started: May 18th, 26 ; finished: May 24th, 26.

‧₊˚ "Throw them out. Nobody in this world is like the characters I read about, asking what is right and wondering how they should be in this world. Everyone is mean and corrupt. There is no hope for humanity."

.my thoughts.
This quote above is so true, considering how humanity is now where everyone just cares about themselves or asks out of boredom, I am so disappointed in life.

A small synopsis in the end if you don't wanna read this yap!

BUTTTTT this book, first of all ,the cover is so pretty, the white bird resembling freedom and peace.🤍

This book was so beautiful, it had so many quotes that I really liked and wanted to highlight (but the format was different so I didn't get to highlight). I was also holding back my TEARS at so many points because wym this actually was relatable (from Nat's point of view) and the story actually just broke my heart and also pieced it back together.

Hearing about Leizer story is not an easy thing, it's painful, scary that every moment feels like a ticking time bomb that may explode on his face anytime. His sacrifices for his family will always be remembered, and because he actually stored his history and wrote it makes it easier to preserve. You will always be remembered, I am so glad you got to live your life longer and lived. The boy who was young and did everything he could, and escaped.

Natalia, the one who read through it and preserved, and who stood up against the bullying she recieved, you are a brave soul, who did everything to translate and get to know the story of a boy who did everything for his sister. He could have given up as well, be managed to pull through every second of his life.

I was in a reading slump so I didn't get to enjoy it as much I hoped for it, but I would really love to reread again and experience everything. The writing style is easy to emerge in and from the start I was instantly drawn (or rather terrified for the family) into. This makes me want to read more about the WWII like the diary of Anne Frank etc.

Here are some few quotes to convince you that I also loved:

What is my life If I hide from injustice, if I remain silent, if I do nothing? You've given me and my family meaning. We do what we can with the little life we have, but to live a long life doing nothing is not to have lived at all.

People who think for themselves and who don't just follow the crowds end up being the best versions of themselves and inspirations for others. Remember that Natalia

Sometimes the greatest journey is the one you take to overcome the fears inside you

Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.

The last quote and the first quote hit straight into my heart <3.

Also the mention of Leon will always melt my heart because the story was entirely his as well! He's the character who went through a lot. I am so glad he lived long enough after the war.

There are also some pictures that I kept staring at, btw Natalia is so pretty hehe🤍☹️.

HIGHLY recommended

synopsis : this book is about WWII and it follows Nataliia an Ukranian Teen in 2010s who goes through the letters of a teenage Jewish boy who does everything despite how badly he's treated by Nazis and people while the letters stored by Nataliia's grandmother makes her realise it connects to their family somehow.

I hope this spreads around and you add this into your tbr as soon as possible🤍

🫧Thank you so much Astra Publishing House for this beautiful Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

the woman you are Nataliia and Susan for mentioning Leon in the cover🥹 rtc

.preread.
I saw this book twice and somehow it called to me in various ways. I also somehow got it in my netgalley shelf so I cannot wait to read this story. i just hope I get to complete it on time since all my life conditions are so worse.

.based of a true story.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful touching, heartbreaking, courageous. You see what I'm doing? I could go on and on but I won't because I think you reading this will mean more. It will touch you and let you see the courage and strength of what some went through and those that helped them.

Thank you to the author, publisher and goodreads giveaways.

[Lyra Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC through NetGalley

"We do what we can with the little we have, but to live a long life doing nothing is to not have lived at all."

4/5 stars. I love WWII historical fiction. I enjoyed this one, but I wasn't invested in the modern time period that went along with the historical one. It started out slow, and it wasn't nearly as compelling as the other. I liked how it all connected in the end, though, although I figured out the connection way before the character did. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the little bits of Ukraine's history I learned. I love when a historical book teaches me something new, and Ukraine's relationship to the Soviet Union was something I was unfamiliar with. One other thing to note is that this book had a lot of typos and comma errors, which I hope will be fixed in the full release.

Read my full review here: https://lyrat16.wixsite.com/read-it-a...

[Carlyn Morenus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful story. ARC is somewhat hampered by the need for a lot of editing, particularly for sentence structure and punctuation problems. Hopefully that will be corrected before the final publication, because it's a story that deserves to be heard.

Based on true events, deals with Ukrainian WWII history, particularly the persecution of Jews, and the people who risked their lives to help. Nicely framed with a 2013 near-present story line, teen Nataliia is discovering this history through letters her grandmother kept.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Historical fiction based on true stories from Ukrainian Holocaust survivors. I liked the way the story connected the two families, one in 2013, the other during WW2. The photos at the end were a nice touch.

There were some formatting mistakes, most likely due to the fact that this was a digital copy. Hopefully these will be corrected in the final version.

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

[Miriam Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is touching and teaches us that hope and honor do exist even throughout the darkest moments in history My father Leon Leizer Buchwald never forgot the kindness of Natalie’s family and was is awe of how they risked their lives to hide him, mother and sister - perfect read during these trying times

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Remarkable and incredible.