The Days Of Miracle and Wonder

by Irene Zabytko

In 1992, just after the fall of the Soviet Union, a Ukrainian-American woman travels to Ukraine and boards a bus on an unlikely pilgrimage. In a style reminiscent of THE CANTERBURY TALES, the passengers–a swimmer, an artist, an interrogator, an actor, and more–tell extraordinary stories of ordinary people caught between Soviet realities and newly independent dreams. THE DAYS OF MIRACLE AND WONDER is a timely glimpse into the complexities of balancing political pressures, collective responsibilities, and individual happiness.

The Days of Miracle and Wonder is an ingenious and deliciously entertaining book with a rollicking cast of characters, ranging from cowboy to cosmonaut, artist to swimming champion, and rock star to ruthless interrogator for the prior regime. Their tales are clever, funny, heartbreaking, and beautifully written, and Zabytko is an immensely gifted storyteller. She is also a brilliant cultural historian. Through her characters’ stories, she reveals in striking detail the harsh reality of life in Ukraine over the past half century: the corruption and injustices of a totalitarian regime, the betrayal of hopes for freedom with independence in 1992, and, finally, the brutal invasion by Russia and the ensuing war. Zabytko is a magician in revealing this world so masterfully, with a book that is both profound, and also just plain fun to read. -- Helen Fremont’s memoirs include the national bestseller, After Long Silence, and Outside the Lines.

Irene Zabytko’s rich imagination takes us on a bus ride through the early days of Ukraine’s independence, together with a group of pilgrims from all walks of life. On the way they share their tales, full of violence and magic, tragedy and love, satire and absurdity. They share their experiences of Soviet dysfunction and repression, and the sudden hopes, dreams, and disappointments of their newly liberated country. But their tales abound with the miraculous and unexpected, as the author skillfully guides us along the way to an uncertain goal, in this humane and ultimately hopeful book.” Alison Anderson, author of The Summer Guest

300 pages, Paperback

Published April 17, 2026

About the author

IRENE ZABYTKO is the author of the novel about Chornobyl THE SKY UNWASHED (a Barnes & Nobel Discover Great New Writers title and New York Times E-Book Bestseller), WHEN LUBA LEAVES HOME (short story collection about her Ukrainian-American Chicago neighborhood), and THE FICTION PRESCRIPTION (fiction writing guidebook). Her latest work of fiction. She's the recipient of the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award and a Fulbright research grant to Ukraine. Her newest book will be out in April, 2026 by Galiot Press: THE DAYS OF MIRACLE AND WONDER.

Reviews

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

How closely does this novel keep to Canterbury Tales? I couldn’t say. It’s been 30 years since I read that one. But I was intrigued enough by the comp to request the ARC, and I’m so glad I did. Everything about this novel worked for me. I loved the framing device of the story competition. Being on the bus on a journey into the Carpathian Mountains with these characters was true delight. The stories are a mix of hope and despair but always full of humor. We start off with the Elvis tale showing us to expect the unusual and our characters never stop surprising us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am so glad I read these stories.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written collection of stories that speak of people struggling to survive, to find warmth, heart, humanity, friendship, as Ukraine tries to find its place in the world, as a former soviet state, as an independent nation, and now, as a nation at war.