Sunflowers Under Fire

by Diana Stevan

Finalist 2019 Whistler Independent Book Award , Semi-Finalist in Literary Fiction 2019 Kindle Book Award, and Honorable Mention Literary/Commercial Fiction, 2020 Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards.

In this family saga and Great War story, love and loss are bound together by a country always at war. A heartbreakingly intimate novel about one courageous woman.

In 1915, Lukia Mazurets, a Ukrainian farmwife, delivers her eighth child while her husband is serving in the Tsar’s army. Soon after, she and her children are forced to flee the invading Germans. Over the next fourteen years, Lukia must rely on her wits and faith to survive life in a refugee camp, the ravages of a typhus epidemic, the Bolshevik revolution, unimaginable losses, and one daughter’s forbidden love.

Based on the true stories of her grandmother’s ordeals, author Diana Stevan captures the voices of those who had little say in a country that is still being fought over. Readers who've enjoyed Kristin Hannah's novel The Nightingale have bought this book.

Available as a paperback, e-book and audiobook.

Genres: Book Club

325 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Diana Stevan writes in various genres. She's published five novels, poetry, short story, a novelette and a non-fiction book.

Her latest book is ALONG CAME A GARDENER, a self-help book and memoir based on her 25 years as a psychotherapist in a variety of mental health settings.

LUKIA'S FAMILY SAGA SERIES begins with the award-winning SUNFLOWERS UNDER FIRE, set in Russia (present-day Ukraine) during the Great War and the wars that followed. The second book, LILACS in the DUST BOWL, is set during the Great Depression in Canada. PAPER ROSES on STONY MOUNTAIN is the 3rd book in the trilogy and was on Miramichi Readers' List of Best Books of 2022. All three books can be read as standalones.

This family saga series is historical fiction/biolgraphical fiction and is based on the author's grandmother and family's life in Ukraine and Manitoba, Canada.

Previous to writing the series, Diana wrote A CRY FROM THE DEEP, a time-slip romantic mystery/adventure and THE RUBBER FENCE, women's fiction, inspired by her work on a psychiatric ward in the 1970s.

Having worked as a professional actress, model, family therapist and CBC television sports broadcaster, Diana uses her experience to weave her stories.

When she isn't writing, she travels, paints, and gardens. With their two daughters grown, Diana lives with her husband, Robert, in West Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

Visit her at www.dianastevan.com, https://www.facebook.com/diana.stevan and on Twitter @DianaStevan

Reviews

[Sherry Chancellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perseverance, grit and sheer pluckiness describe the heroine of this fictionalized story about the life of author’s grandmother. What a lady she was. From the opening sequence when she gave birth by herself on the kitchen floor, got up and cooked for her husband who just joined the army and then walked the food a number of miles while half a day post-partum, to her bravery when she decided to move her family to an unknown land where they didn’t know the language, Lukia is someone to admire. She was an amazing human being and the author captured the spirit of this lady in a way that made this reader relate to her (even though I’ve never been faced with anything like the situations Lukia faced).
The heroine handled herself well and kept her family fed and with shelter in all kinds of adversity. The losses she suffered were horrible, but she didn’t let them daunt her or cause her to lose her faith.
I very much enjoyed reading this book even though it was dismal and heartbreaking in parts. My admiration of Lukia grew throughout the book. She was just not going to sit down and take it when life didn’t go her way. If you like tales of fortitude and overcoming tribulation, I recommend this one highly. 4.5 stars

[Marie Seckler - Slimmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Awaiting a sequel. Most interesting personally because it relates to my heritage and background with stories that I can relate to from my grandparents being Ukrainian. Highly recommend.

[Allan Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diana Stevan has written a compelling story. It's hard to imagine how anyone could endure such hard times as her main character has and still find the will to go on. Heart breaking at times, it shows how a mother's love overcomes all the difficulties life has thrown at her. Extremely well written. it's very difficult to put this book down. Well done.

[Charise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable story and remarkable woman, Lukia was a force to be reckoned with!

[Gayle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so engrossing, it was very hard to put down. Not only is it a story of a family struggling to survive during war but it is also a story of strength, perseverance, faith, and common sense. Lukia is the incredibly strong woman at the center of this story. With being forced out of their home, leaving everything the family had every worked for, literally trying to keep her children alive, rebuilding after the war, raising the children to be able to make a life for themselves, Lukia holds it all together with the help of her faith, friends, family and doing what needs to be done. It is very interesting to read about the customs of the country, Lukia's dreams that give her a hint to what the future bring and how she makes decisions for the family. It was interesting to realize that some of the anecdotes are true of the modern family also; raising teenagers, their education, keeping a house running, and making financial decisions. As challenging as that is for us in this day and age, imagine all of that without our modern conveniences. A wonderful book.

A received a free book and voluntarily provided this review.

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fictional account of author's Ukrainian roots focusing on the first two decades of the tumultuous 20th century. I learned much of Ukrainian traditions, rooted in religion. Set in the western half Volhynia—much of the time under Polish rule—the novel navigates some of the historical events that made eastern Europe such a dangerous place. Great book for people exploring their Ukrainian heritage. The story unfolds through the character of Lukia—a tough woman—forged by dire circumstances.

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of Sunflowers Under Fire in exchange for an honest review. You can read the full review at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

Sunflowers Under Fire opens on a birth scene in the summer of 1915, a woman alone on the floor of her family home gasping against the rag she has gagged herself with as she pushes her daughter, the last of many children, out of her body and into the world. Still alone this woman, Lukia Mazurets of Kivertsi, Ukraine, cuts the umbilical cord, cleans her child and herself, and goes back to the kitchen to make dinner.

This one scene sets the tone for the entire novel.

Across tragedy and hardship, and great joys also, Lukia maintains her faith and her traditions and her love for her home and always carries on. As Ukraine burns around her, metaphorically and literally, she scrubs the floors and bakes the bread and clothes her children because that is what a mother does.

Beautiful and harrowing, Sunflowers Under Fire is a novel about loss, love, and a mother’s resolve to carry on in the face of unimaginable odds. It is stunning work from a master storyteller, and a novel I look forward to returning to again and again.

[Kathy Kostuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that gave me back memories of my Ukrainian heritage, so on a personal level I loved it.
It is story that shares so many themes not the least that family can survive anything together. Many heart felt moments. There was an awareness that I didn’t have of the endurance of a people who were oppressed by many ruling ideologies. This book was easy to read and a lovely story. The author is a warm vibrant story teller that give depth to her story under the narrative.

[Patricia Sandberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWI is underway as the Russian Revolution starts. This is the battleground for the protagonist Lukia Mazurets and her family. Lukia is based on author Diana Stevan's grandmother and what a woman she must have been.
The story is heartbreaking in places as Lukia faces unbelievable hardship and pain, but the overriding message is uplifting as it illustrates the power of the human spirit to not just endure but surmount what is thrown at it. Not only does Ms. Stevan masterfully evoke the emotional journey, but she chronicles in fascinating detail the historical context in which the story takes place.
The role of women has been underplayed throughout history, including in literature. Ms. Stevan creates a world where women's accomplishments in raising family, keeping a home and surviving in what seems impossible odds are given their due. Where women are shown to be heroes they really are. An impressive work!

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunflowers Under Fire - This is such an interesting story. Starting in 1915, with the war entering the Ukraine, a family separated from the father, a soldier, must endure the hardship of leaving their burning home, ripen crops in the fields and a newborn to escape the fighting as ordered by their government. This is a must read for anyone who wants communism. While the Romanovs were not good leaders, their destruction and Lenin's takeover of Russia made life worse for the peasants, who did not have it good before communism.

It is a well written story, full of heartbreak and sorrows, but also determination, courage and love. Following the journey of Lukia and her family kept me immersed in their story and made it difficult to put the book down. I wish there were more books in this genre, or any genre, that are so well written, historically accurate and remind us of our pasts and what we should be remembering to keep our present and our children's futures free. Keep the Kleenex box handy for the heart-wrenching parts. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*

Blue Nightgown - This is my first read by this author and I did not know what to expect. I like and dislike the story. It is well written and moves at good pace, which I like. There was too much emphasis on the sex: awakenings; beliefs; morals, which I did not expect; clueless about the book. It was sad that her marriage suffered sexually since the couple did not communicate, which sex was not discussed back then. The story is interesting, although personally, I do not find any differences between the modern woman of today and all the past modern women. We just have social media to muck up things badly between the sexes and create an intolerant and prejudice herd mentality against men and a skewed definition of feminism.

Set in the 50s, the story goes back to the Dirty Thirties and the lessons learned and life during the Great Depression. Learning about Anna's life was interesting and I enjoyed visiting the past through another person's eyes. Especially interesting since she was not born in the US and the story blended the past with beliefs of the times and another culture. I contacted the author to review her books. 4*

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1915 and Lukia, her husband Gregory and their 6 children live on a farm in Russia. The war between the Germans and the Austrians has been joined by Russia and the fighting is getting closer to the farm every day. As the novel begins, Gregory has gone to town to sign up for the Czar's army while Lukia delivers their 8th baby while home alone. After the birth and a short nap, she begins to cook the family dinner. The readers knows right from the start that Lukia is a strong woman and as the novel progresses, we find out just how strong she is.

In a time of war and revolt, Lukia is left at home alone to take care of her 6 children but that soon ends when they are removed from their land and sent to a camp for war refugees. She and her children live in the camp for fourteen years before they can return home and start to rebuild their home. During these years, it's up to her to make sure that her children are clothed and fed and kept safe. She is very religious and uses her religion and the old folk ways to help keep everyone safe. A major problem is keeping everyone healthy because there is a lot of typhus in the camp and because they are so crowded, disease spreads quickly. As she is faced with more hardship, she works to remain strong and be a good mother to her children and keep them safe.

This is the story of one strong woman who with love, perseverance and faith works tirelessly to keep her family safe from the war around them, safe from the beginning of communism and helps them grow into responsible adults. She to make a lot of sacrifices and is met with sorrow throughout her life but she remains stoic. She is not a character that readers will forget.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Lorraine Devon Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read other work by this writer, I knew she was a skilled storyteller, with an eye for detail and the ability to draw readers in with compelling characters and page-turning plots.

SUNFLOWERS UNDER FIRE, however, takes her outside the parameters of fiction with a story based largely on the life of her grandmother, Lukia Mazurets, set in the backdrop of Ukraine history during the early 20th century. Bombarded with seemingly endless battles over who would rule that part of the world, with epidemics and revolutions impacting the lives of both everyday people and tsars alike, Lukia’s story is one of endurance, resilience, and unavoidable heartache, and Stevan honors her grandmother by telling it with tremendous care and compassion.

Beginning in 1915, with the birth of Lukia’s eighth child, the girl who would ultimately become the author’s mother, we follow the brutal war-torn journey of this large, loving family over several decades. Replete with the many traditions, foods, customs, and costumes of the time and place (with a handy glossary at the book’s end to assist in sorting out the names!), the story imparts a rich, evocative view of everyday life, with its notable joys and celebrations as well as the relentless hardships, endured not only by this family, but those in their circle.

That relentless is sometimes overwhelming, as one tragedy piles on top of another, but ultimately the take-away is the courage, strength, and devotion of the woman at the center of the story.

A loving tribute to a beloved grandmother, Stevan succeeds in making a page-turner of her family history, where even the smallest, most mundane, of details contributes to the suspense of following the journey of a simple but essential life.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan is an epic historical tale based on the life of the author’s grandmother in the Ukraine. The book covers the period 1915-1928. It is both fascinating and horrifying as well as being totally absorbing.
Life was hard in the Ukraine with World War I, civil war between the whites and the reds and communism under first Lenin and then Stalin. The peasants had it incredibly hard being shunted from pillar to post and back again. They had very little and what they did have, the army took from them. It was a time of great hardship.
Diana Stevan’s grandmother was resilient. She was a survivor and incredibly brave. Life was hard, food was scarce and healthcare poor. People died and families had to continue living without their loved ones.
This book shows a strong family bond. Family was everything to the author’s brave grandmother. She loved and she lost but she kept on going because what other choice did she have?
Sunflowers Under Fire is a remarkable story of a remarkable woman who was a survivor at a very dark and difficult time in history. It is a book about courage, resilience and love. I can highly recommend it.
As a historian with a passion for Russian history from 1900 I was completely absorbed in this fascinating book which bought historical facts to life.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

[Diana Stevan]

This was a labour of love. I cried and laughed at the computer as I recalled my mother's anecdotes about my grandmother. Though I'd shared a bedroom with my baba, Lukia Mazurets (the protagonist in my biographical fiction) from the time I was a baby until I was fifteen, I never knew the hardships she'd faced.

I didn't know her as that much younger woman who'd survived not only wartime but life in a refugee camp with six children while her husband was fighting for the Tsar. She never talked about it. When I grew older, I realized she was like the men who came back from war and never mentioned what they'd experienced. To bring up what they'd gone through would mean reliving that heartache.

Her road was hard but I also discovered her joy and humour in the midst of the turmoil. And today, on Canadian Thanksgiving, I feel so thankful that I was able to bring her story to life.

[Moveebuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart is still heavy after reading this book...not from sorrow but from joy. I had heard so many stories from my mother about the beauty of Ukraine and the hard times that she had endured living on a farm. Sunflowers Under Fire brought so many memories of my mother back to life for which I am truly grateful.
I highly recommend this book for anyone but especially those whose parents and/or grandparents are from Ukraine.

[K-BRC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictionalization based upon the author’s grandmother’s history in the Ukraine that tear at the heartstrings. This story will hook you and you’ll cheer Lukia’s every success and mourn her losses. This is a fabulous, but emotional read.

[Nina Romano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Twain said: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.”

What makes good fiction is tension and risks for the main character. Diana Stevan’s presents her grandmother Lukia’s story, filled with woes and tragedies, which make it a compelling read. The novel may be based on true stories of the author’s Baba, but it is well-written and portrayed as fiction at its finest.

There are many other elements that create strong fiction—one is that it allows readers to experience new settings. Excellent fiction, like this book, also allows readers to experience the narrative through the main character’s POV and inner thoughts, learning about, in this case, Lukia’s background, and how she confronts many tragic life issues. Feelings for the protagonist are generated because of universal sympathies. Or because the reader is given opportunities through scenes to care about another human being totally different than anyone they know, or perhaps, exactly like someone they know.

Lukia’s story is heartrending and devastating, but it is through her courage, humanity, and spirit, that, aided by the author’s wonderful story-telling, we are granted a view of an undaunted, courageous being

[Leigh Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunflowers Under Fire is the story of a Ukrainian family's historic journey across time in Russia from the Bolshevik Revolution to their immigration to Canada. While often hard to hear the depiction of the violence and experiences of this family the story is very moving. It gives you hope in the power of resilience in the face of unspeakable violence and tragedy.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought a new light on my heritage.
The sense of belonging and the rituals that my family has embraced has now been given a context.
They have endured such hardship.
Loved this story!!!

[Kendra O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely heartbreaking yet uplifting at the same time. lukia's strength and hopefulness despite immense loss and grief is awe-inspiring.

[Bob McClintock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Sunflowers Under Fire as an ebook, but I felt the need to hold the actual book in my hand, to immerse myself in the living, breathing story to of Lukia Mazurets, incredible character who will capture your heart and soul. Told in a straightforward, matter-of-fact fashion by author Diana Stevan, the story is nonetheless so compelling and heart-wrenching I found it impossible to put down.
Set in World War One Ukraine, we follow the uprooted life of Lukia, as her world is rent asunder time and time again. Her character is so riveting that her life seems somehow lit by a beacon as she endures inconceivable heartbreaks, shining forth with a strength and devotion to family that is truly uplifting. . We are drawn into her long, tortuous journey because the story of her life transcends the written word and becomes vivid and alive in the imagination. Heroism is not too strong a word to describe the stoic determination that she displays through the uprooting all she knew, relocation, tragedy and unremitting hardship.
Ms. Stevan’s style is almost spare, yet this only enhances the stark reality of the characters portrayed and the events she describes.
For those in the present-day who struggle to comprehend immigration and the perils of refugees this is a book that absolutely must be read,

[Judith lavezzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Sunflowers Under Fire recently, and received an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This is that review. Sunflowers is an unusual book in many ways. I had never known much of the setting, Ukraine, or te issues of the time, in 1915, wartime seen without the usual patriotic slant. This story is remarkable in allowing the female character, Lukia Mazurets, a mother of eight, to become my new heroine. Told simply but thoughtfully, the little family tries to endure, to stay alive, and to maintain some dignity at the same time. Their cultural life is nearly destroyed, their religious life is swept away, security vanishes, and yet underneath the struggles to survive shines a solid story of decency, perseverance and goodness. The main character tells the story in a straightforward way, as though aware of the ever-present dangers. Meeting life with honesty and drawing on diminishing resilience, years of threat and disappointment do not rob them of their humanity as they simply try to endure. No Amazonian strength, no cultural empowerment, no super magical skills come along to raise them up but rise they do. The storytelling is appropriate to the characters and location, and enhances the sense of bearing witness to the heroic in the ordinary.

[Catherine Stratman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are not enough adjectives to describe this book!

This book is not my normal read but I decide to try it. It is wonderfully written and very hard to put down. The story is based on the life of the authors family living in the Ukraine starting in 1915. It follows them thru having their husband/father fighting for Tsarist Russia, loosing everything and relocating to a refugee camp, rebuilding under Bolsheviks and Pols all the while trying to survive and keep their family together. It's a story of survival, heartbreak, and endurance of human spirit. Keep a box of tissues handy, you will need them! I hope Ms Stevan will consider writing the continuation of this story so we can follow Lukia on the rest of her journey.

I received an ARC. This is my honest review.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heartbreaking story is based on the true story of Stevan's grandmother Lukia. It takes you through the life of a small-town wife of a farmer through the war in 1915. They live in Ukraine, and are transported around to different "camps" while their home is destroyed. Lukia just having had her eighth child is fighting to keep her family alive and together. ⁣
⁣
This is not a book for you if you're looking for a light and breezy story. It is absolutely devastating. That said, it is also one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. My heart ached through the entire novel. If you are looking for a book that will make you cry, look no further. ⁣

[Monica Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Through this historical fiction, Diana pulls you into World War I, not just witnessing Lukia Mazuret's life but becoming a part of it. Following the struggles of this family, and more so the matriarch who bore the cross for all, one can't help but relate to all grandmothers who struggled as men went off to war. I learned pieces of history that I was previous lacking. I felt her joy, her pain, and her frustration as she persevered the war through the eyes of a strong woman of incredible faith. I couldn't put the book down and look forward to reading Diana's other novels. She is incredibly talented and one of my new favorite authors.

[Rae Knightly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant true story about a woman's struggles to save her family from war-torn Ukraine.

No, this novel does not take place in 2022, but in 1915, and is so identifiable with Ukraine's current struggles that it makes you wonder whether humans have learned anything over a period of a hundred years. And yet, Lukia Mazurets' strength and wits gives you hope in humanity, as she fights to keep her family going against all odds and, by the end of the book, you can't help but yearn for the next one to find out if the family survives their ordeals. The story flows and the words lead you from one event to another with heartbreaking accuracy. A must-read historical family drama for YA and adults.

[Elizahogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunflower Under Fire is a tragic story woven with historical context from 19-15-1930. This heartbreaking story is about lives of a Ukrainian family that barely survived life during this time period. The heroine keeps her family alive after she loses almost everything, lives through a refugee camp only to return to rebuild her life. I loved this book, I could not put it down.

The author is Canada and the story is based on her grandmother's life.

[Christopher Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author states that the story is based on her grandmother’s life. It is a sweet and sometimes tragic tale of life in the 1900s in Ukraine. Lukia’s life is remarkable and this is one of the best historical fictions I have ever read. The author put a lot of work in this and it shows. This story is just amazing. There isn’t a better way to describe it.

[Sandy Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Tribute

What a beautiful tribute this book is to your Baba. Know you come from very strong healthy genes in many ways because of her.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional book. Since I knew it was based on a true story it was heart wrenching at times but I found it hard to put down. Definitely recommend.