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Under This Unbroken Sky
Evocative and compelling, rich in imagination and atmosphere, Under This Unbroken Sky is a beautifully wrought debut from a gifted new novelist.
Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria; their five children; and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Teodor—a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin's purges—is determined to make a better life for them. As he tirelessly clears the untamed land, Teodor begins to heal himself and his children. But the family's hopes and newfound happiness are short-lived. Anna's rogue husband, the arrogant and scheming Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.
Under This Unbroken Sky is a mesmerizing tale of love and greed, pride and desperation, that will resonate long after the last page is turned. Shandi Mitchell has woven an unbearably suspenseful story, written in a language of luminous beauty and clarity. Rich with fiery conflict and culminating in a gut-wrenching climax, this is an unforgettably powerful novel from a passionate new voice in contemporary literature.
Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria; their five children; and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Teodor—a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin's purges—is determined to make a better life for them. As he tirelessly clears the untamed land, Teodor begins to heal himself and his children. But the family's hopes and newfound happiness are short-lived. Anna's rogue husband, the arrogant and scheming Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.
Under This Unbroken Sky is a mesmerizing tale of love and greed, pride and desperation, that will resonate long after the last page is turned. Shandi Mitchell has woven an unbearably suspenseful story, written in a language of luminous beauty and clarity. Rich with fiery conflict and culminating in a gut-wrenching climax, this is an unforgettably powerful novel from a passionate new voice in contemporary literature.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2009
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2491 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
August 8, 2020
Written by a distant relative of my husband's on his mother's side, this book was recommended by relatives on his father's side! Based on a true story of a murder/suicide near our hometown that focused on relatives of my mother-in-law's, I had to get past that it was a work of fiction and not a biography. A heartfelt story of hardworking immigrants that ends in tragedy.
September 1, 2017
Without a doubt a beautifully written book, a gem, about a Ukrainian farming family, Maria and Theodor and 6 children in wild Canada of 1938 fighting to survive, setting up a farm, in a dramatic relationship with father Theodor's sister Anna and her spiteful husband Stefan. Nature scenery described with a great love of nature, but describing the harshness of winter season out there alone, rationing food and fighting to stay warm and alive. A book full of love for family and life, and a dramatic though beautiful ending. Wonderful read, 4.5. Can't wait for new books of this talented author.
September 25, 2017
An immigrant story of hardship and tragedy, playing out in the south of Canada. A Ukrianian family struggled to survive in a harsh environment where not only nature was a nemesis, but also the English society who discriminated against them.
Although the prose was outstanding, the atmosphere brilliantly created, the characters perfectly drawn, the story concentrated too much on shock value for my taste. But the tale was so realistic in scope. So very well written. The balance between good and bad, and the way the plot turned out, was brilliantly done. It is a dark, somber, upsetting tale.
The only good thing coming out of this experience is the BILYI BORSHCH (WHITE BORSHCH) soup recipe.
Land up in these parts was untamed, choked by bush, rocks, and bogs. The flat rich land farther south went to the British and the gentrified. This part of the country was allocated for Ukrainians, Germans, Russians, Hungarians, and shared with the decimated Blackfoot, who had been pushed farther and farther north by train tracks, towns, and fences. This was land set aside for laborers, nonwhites, peasants with deep guttural languages and mysterious customs. It was a place of poor people, but the soil was rich.It turns into a bleak family tragedy, devoid of any hope and salvation, out there in the Alberta prairy. It was 1933. The family fled Ukraine, hoping for a better life. But fate had other plans in store for them. A family photograph tells the story of a beginning and an end, with the survivors uncertain about the real drama which ignited the traumatic events for the family. Nobody will be able to draw the final conclusion with insight and nothing but the whole truth on their side. Life just does not work that way.
Although the prose was outstanding, the atmosphere brilliantly created, the characters perfectly drawn, the story concentrated too much on shock value for my taste. But the tale was so realistic in scope. So very well written. The balance between good and bad, and the way the plot turned out, was brilliantly done. It is a dark, somber, upsetting tale.
The only good thing coming out of this experience is the BILYI BORSHCH (WHITE BORSHCH) soup recipe.
August 8, 2020
Many thanks to a GoodReads friend who read and wrote an excellent review about this debut novel by Canadian author Shandi Mitchell, thereby bringing it to my attention. This is a compelling, captivating, harrowing, powerful, tragic, and utterly gripping novel.
Evocative and breathtaking, Under This Unbroken Sky portrays a family forced to flee their once-beloved Ukraine in the middle of the night for Canada. Determined to build a new life for themselves, they take to the land and as the crops flourish their spirits are revived – that is, until the return of a scheming relative with an unforgivable plan.
This is a novel about family, pride, and survival. It is a bold and brutal study of love, betrayal and loyalty. Under This Unbroken Sky is a magnificent, mesmerizing piece of storytelling. It kept me turning the pages to see what came next. This historical fiction story of Ukrainian immigrants Teodor, Maria, Dania, Myron, Sofia, Katya, Ivan, Anna, Lesya and Petro will stay with me for a long time.
Evocative and breathtaking, Under This Unbroken Sky portrays a family forced to flee their once-beloved Ukraine in the middle of the night for Canada. Determined to build a new life for themselves, they take to the land and as the crops flourish their spirits are revived – that is, until the return of a scheming relative with an unforgivable plan.
This is a novel about family, pride, and survival. It is a bold and brutal study of love, betrayal and loyalty. Under This Unbroken Sky is a magnificent, mesmerizing piece of storytelling. It kept me turning the pages to see what came next. This historical fiction story of Ukrainian immigrants Teodor, Maria, Dania, Myron, Sofia, Katya, Ivan, Anna, Lesya and Petro will stay with me for a long time.
April 12, 2022
This was a debut book published in 2009.
It won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers' Prize and other awards.
It’s a work of fiction with some historical facts.
The story is bleak and depressing and may not please everyone. Regardless, the writing is terrific. I could feel that hot breath on my neck. I could even smell the smoke and feel the heat of the fire.
Countless times I have said (in other reviews) that it does not matter if the story is fiction or not, if the characters are likeable or not, but how you tell a story is what can make a book sound convincing and therefore a winner.
With this book I was completely transported to late 30’s and place (the Canadian prairies), thanks to the author’s skill.
I was completely hooked and pleased with the development of the story and its structure, and I have to thank Debbie for the recommendation. But it was a heavy read. There are some upsetting passages.
The anticipation of its conclusion was too much, but I did not want to take my eyes off the book.
I think that this story, heartbreaking as it is, would make a great movie.
This was my second book by this author and I do recommend “The Waiting Hours”.
Notes by the author:
“Though the characters and their stories are fictional, I tried to set their lives in a realistic framework anchored in historical fact. I could not have created their world without the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Alberta Justice Department, Government of Canada National Parole Board, and the Government of the Province of Alberta – Department of Lands and Mines.
I used photographs for inspiration and relied on the incredible resources of virtual museums and photo galleries for my research: Glenbow Museum – Photographic Archives, The Great De Depression of Canada, The American Experience Surviving the Dust Bowl, Alberta Depression Years, Saskatchewan’s Heritage Multi-Media Gallery, Ukrainian Museum in New York City – Holodomor (The Great Famine) and the Holodomor Photographic Archives – Ukraine.
I learned from those who collected Ukrainian folklore, folktales and customs and shared them with those who had lost or forgotten them.”
Shandi Mitchell is a Canadian novelist and filmmaker.
It won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers' Prize and other awards.
It’s a work of fiction with some historical facts.
The story is bleak and depressing and may not please everyone. Regardless, the writing is terrific. I could feel that hot breath on my neck. I could even smell the smoke and feel the heat of the fire.
Countless times I have said (in other reviews) that it does not matter if the story is fiction or not, if the characters are likeable or not, but how you tell a story is what can make a book sound convincing and therefore a winner.
With this book I was completely transported to late 30’s and place (the Canadian prairies), thanks to the author’s skill.
I was completely hooked and pleased with the development of the story and its structure, and I have to thank Debbie for the recommendation. But it was a heavy read. There are some upsetting passages.
The anticipation of its conclusion was too much, but I did not want to take my eyes off the book.
I think that this story, heartbreaking as it is, would make a great movie.
This was my second book by this author and I do recommend “The Waiting Hours”.
Notes by the author:
“Though the characters and their stories are fictional, I tried to set their lives in a realistic framework anchored in historical fact. I could not have created their world without the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Alberta Justice Department, Government of Canada National Parole Board, and the Government of the Province of Alberta – Department of Lands and Mines.
I used photographs for inspiration and relied on the incredible resources of virtual museums and photo galleries for my research: Glenbow Museum – Photographic Archives, The Great De Depression of Canada, The American Experience Surviving the Dust Bowl, Alberta Depression Years, Saskatchewan’s Heritage Multi-Media Gallery, Ukrainian Museum in New York City – Holodomor (The Great Famine) and the Holodomor Photographic Archives – Ukraine.
I learned from those who collected Ukrainian folklore, folktales and customs and shared them with those who had lost or forgotten them.”
Shandi Mitchell is a Canadian novelist and filmmaker.
August 27, 2017
From the book jacket: Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukranian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria, their five children, and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Teodor – a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin’s purges – is determined to make a better life for them. … But Anna’s husband, Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.
My reactions:
This debut work just about broke my heart. Mitchell’s writing is luminous and poetic in places, making the landscape and weather central characters in the drama that unfolds. In the span of a year’s time, the novel touches on the immigrant experience, the injustice of prejudice against the newcomers, the harsh realities of prairie life during this time, domestic abuse, faith, loyalty, friendship, charity, pride, survival and forgiveness. If that seems like too much to handle, trust me, it isn’t; at least not in Mitchell’s capable hands.
Teodor embodies the immigrant ethic – hard work and steadfast movement toward a goal, championing a cause for the betterment of his family. But he also falls victim to his own faults: pride and anger. He is so caught in being justifiably outraged that he cannot see his way to compromise. And yet, he is a loving father, husband, brother and uncle.
Maria is a tower of strength, keeping her family together and carefully husbanding their meager resources to feed not only her own children, but her sister-in-law and her two children. Her work is no less difficult than Teodor’s back-breaking task of clearing the land for their homestead. She instills values of charity, love and faith in her family, and tries her best to do so for her niece and nephew.
The character that most distresses me is Petro, Anna and Stefan’s son. He tries so hard to emulate his older cousin and uncle, but is understandably most influenced by his father. He may be only nine when the novel ends, but I worry for his future.
This is a book, and an author, that deserves a wider audience.
My reactions:
This debut work just about broke my heart. Mitchell’s writing is luminous and poetic in places, making the landscape and weather central characters in the drama that unfolds. In the span of a year’s time, the novel touches on the immigrant experience, the injustice of prejudice against the newcomers, the harsh realities of prairie life during this time, domestic abuse, faith, loyalty, friendship, charity, pride, survival and forgiveness. If that seems like too much to handle, trust me, it isn’t; at least not in Mitchell’s capable hands.
Teodor embodies the immigrant ethic – hard work and steadfast movement toward a goal, championing a cause for the betterment of his family. But he also falls victim to his own faults: pride and anger. He is so caught in being justifiably outraged that he cannot see his way to compromise. And yet, he is a loving father, husband, brother and uncle.
Maria is a tower of strength, keeping her family together and carefully husbanding their meager resources to feed not only her own children, but her sister-in-law and her two children. Her work is no less difficult than Teodor’s back-breaking task of clearing the land for their homestead. She instills values of charity, love and faith in her family, and tries her best to do so for her niece and nephew.
The character that most distresses me is Petro, Anna and Stefan’s son. He tries so hard to emulate his older cousin and uncle, but is understandably most influenced by his father. He may be only nine when the novel ends, but I worry for his future.
This is a book, and an author, that deserves a wider audience.
August 28, 2013
This is an immigrant story of struggle and survival in the Alberta prairie during the Depression in 1938. After escaping from Stalin's purges in the Ukraine, Teodor Mykolayenko is jailed for two years for stealing his own wheat on his first Canadian farm. His wife and children move to the prairie of northern Canada with his sister. Teodor joins them later, works the land, and builds a house and barn. But his sister's greedy husband returns, and is bent on driving Teodor away. How much suffering can one man deal with before he is destroyed?
The book has wonderful descriptions of the prairie in Alberta, and some unforgetable characters. In the face of adversity, some of the characters grow resolute and strong while others are broken. This is a very powerful story about the suffering and endurance of the Ukrainian immigrants.
The book has wonderful descriptions of the prairie in Alberta, and some unforgetable characters. In the face of adversity, some of the characters grow resolute and strong while others are broken. This is a very powerful story about the suffering and endurance of the Ukrainian immigrants.
April 22, 2016
5★
The reader is warned on page one that there is tragedy ahead yet I was completely cast within its dark spell; almost impossible to put this one down. The story unfurls depression-era prairie life in northern Canada — where Fall is Winter and Winter is something else, paying homage to Ukrainian immigrants, their mistreatment and suffering, the often devastating struggle to survive. A granddaughter of immigrant farmers myself, in my comfortable home and circumstances I sometimes mourn the passing of wilderness and an earlier way of existence. No doubt the reality of it has been romanticized but this harsh tale of extremes serves it up bloody. How soft we have become, how displaced from the land— the raw courage and character it builds deep in the soul, catastrophes that break down relationship and the human spirit. The prose is stark, beautiful, and unforgettable, the characters a complex and untamed landscape all their own. Teodor, Maria, Anna, and their children are going to haunt me for a while. A mesmerizing debut.
Link to a short video with the author including photographs from the time and place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyvV6...
The reader is warned on page one that there is tragedy ahead yet I was completely cast within its dark spell; almost impossible to put this one down. The story unfurls depression-era prairie life in northern Canada — where Fall is Winter and Winter is something else, paying homage to Ukrainian immigrants, their mistreatment and suffering, the often devastating struggle to survive. A granddaughter of immigrant farmers myself, in my comfortable home and circumstances I sometimes mourn the passing of wilderness and an earlier way of existence. No doubt the reality of it has been romanticized but this harsh tale of extremes serves it up bloody. How soft we have become, how displaced from the land— the raw courage and character it builds deep in the soul, catastrophes that break down relationship and the human spirit. The prose is stark, beautiful, and unforgettable, the characters a complex and untamed landscape all their own. Teodor, Maria, Anna, and their children are going to haunt me for a while. A mesmerizing debut.
Link to a short video with the author including photographs from the time and place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyvV6...
March 25, 2010
Wow. This is a tough one. Not because I didn't like this book-- I loved this book-- but because it was so gut-wrenching at times that I question: Did I enjoy it?
But the verdict is "yes", for the most part, I did enjoy it. Even though there were moments in the book when I would sit with the book held in my hands, still closed, and take a deep breath and prepare myself to read on. Because I knew. I knew what was about to come was going to be hard to read. And I dreaded reading the words, even though I already knew what they would say.
This is the story of two families. Well, one family really. It is the story of a brother and sister, and their separate yet devastatingly entwined lives. It is about hardship and decisions-- the choices that we make in our lives. How those choices affect those around us.
Siblings Anna and Teodor fall on hard times in the Ukraine, and escape to Canada in the 1930s. Life there is harsh. Anna was once a jewel in a poverty-stricken family. She was unhappy with her position in life and dreamed of something more. Along came Stefan, a charming soldier who swept her off her feet. Anna marries Stefan, with hopes of escaping her life, and finds herself doomed with a cruel and heartless man.
Flash forward and we now find Anna a despondent and hopeless woman raising two children and abandoned by her worthless husband. She is living on land in brutal Canada, with her brother Teodor's wife and children living in a shack out back since Teodor was sent to prison a year before for the single crime of withholding some of his grain for himself and his starving family.
Teodor now returns, and the rollercoaster of ups and downs begin. You get to see the polarization of two different families. Anna's family is a shambles, living life with no direction, depending on Teodor for their survival. Teodor's family, on the other hand, works like a well-oiled machine. Hard-working and enduring, nothing stops them. They face life head-on, while Anna's family lies defeated.
I loved the writing style of this book. I loved the characters, which I really got to know through all of the little details that the author Shandi Mitchell includes. You really get to know these people, and like or dislike them. That is why it was so hard for me to read on when I knew that something terrible was about to happen-- I knew these people; I liked these people. I didn't want to see anything more happen to them. I wanted to shake Anna and tell her to wake up from her self-pitying stupor and take care of her family! I wanted to befriend Maria and be awed by her strength and selflessness. I wanted to take pride in Maria and Teodor's children. I wanted to save Anna's children.
This is a beautifully-written, heart-wrenching story that I highly recommend. I'm left feeling as if my sister and her family has moved away, and I miss them.
But the verdict is "yes", for the most part, I did enjoy it. Even though there were moments in the book when I would sit with the book held in my hands, still closed, and take a deep breath and prepare myself to read on. Because I knew. I knew what was about to come was going to be hard to read. And I dreaded reading the words, even though I already knew what they would say.
This is the story of two families. Well, one family really. It is the story of a brother and sister, and their separate yet devastatingly entwined lives. It is about hardship and decisions-- the choices that we make in our lives. How those choices affect those around us.
Siblings Anna and Teodor fall on hard times in the Ukraine, and escape to Canada in the 1930s. Life there is harsh. Anna was once a jewel in a poverty-stricken family. She was unhappy with her position in life and dreamed of something more. Along came Stefan, a charming soldier who swept her off her feet. Anna marries Stefan, with hopes of escaping her life, and finds herself doomed with a cruel and heartless man.
Flash forward and we now find Anna a despondent and hopeless woman raising two children and abandoned by her worthless husband. She is living on land in brutal Canada, with her brother Teodor's wife and children living in a shack out back since Teodor was sent to prison a year before for the single crime of withholding some of his grain for himself and his starving family.
Teodor now returns, and the rollercoaster of ups and downs begin. You get to see the polarization of two different families. Anna's family is a shambles, living life with no direction, depending on Teodor for their survival. Teodor's family, on the other hand, works like a well-oiled machine. Hard-working and enduring, nothing stops them. They face life head-on, while Anna's family lies defeated.
I loved the writing style of this book. I loved the characters, which I really got to know through all of the little details that the author Shandi Mitchell includes. You really get to know these people, and like or dislike them. That is why it was so hard for me to read on when I knew that something terrible was about to happen-- I knew these people; I liked these people. I didn't want to see anything more happen to them. I wanted to shake Anna and tell her to wake up from her self-pitying stupor and take care of her family! I wanted to befriend Maria and be awed by her strength and selflessness. I wanted to take pride in Maria and Teodor's children. I wanted to save Anna's children.
This is a beautifully-written, heart-wrenching story that I highly recommend. I'm left feeling as if my sister and her family has moved away, and I miss them.
November 18, 2017
This is a harsh book, tenderly written.
The 4 rating is given somewhat reluctantly because towards the end I could not wait to finish. As a mere witness of the page, I felt helpless and overemotional and irrationally protective of this family of immigrants, and it finally dawned on me, this was the life of my own grandparents, who were not farmers but were give a parcel of land to farm in Canada along with their passage.
This book really opened my eyes regarding the tough conditions that are transcribed here in such loving detail.
There's much to discuss that all comes under the spoiler restrictions because of one implausible event that in fact, we read in the afterward, that event was the truth that inspired the novel.
The 4 rating is given somewhat reluctantly because towards the end I could not wait to finish. As a mere witness of the page, I felt helpless and overemotional and irrationally protective of this family of immigrants, and it finally dawned on me, this was the life of my own grandparents, who were not farmers but were give a parcel of land to farm in Canada along with their passage.
This book really opened my eyes regarding the tough conditions that are transcribed here in such loving detail.
There's much to discuss that all comes under the spoiler restrictions because of one implausible event that in fact, we read in the afterward, that event was the truth that inspired the novel.
March 30, 2014
I absolutely adored this book. It is the story of two families whose lives are linked through land and kinship, one family eroding day by day, step by step, loss by loss, the other fighting to hold on to some sense of joy. It is the story of immigrants, of the great depression, of the Canadian prairie. I found the writing just beautiful; simple yet imbued with meaning. I felt deep emotions as I read this book -- fear, anger, joy, sadness and love -- and was absorbed in the story from start to finish. Just wonderful.
May 20, 2025
Canadian author 🇨🇦 Winner of several awards.
Adding this one to my favorite shelf! Under This Unbroken Sky is largely a character-driven novel that captures the emotional reality of the immigrant experience in 1930s Canada. Beautifully and powerfully written, the author immerses us in the lives of a Ukrainian family fighting to survive the unforgiving prairies. The novel explores family loyalty, hardship, resilience, betrayal, and cultural displacement, with much of the tension and drama arising from the characters’ choices. I was really drawn to these characters, and this novel will stay with me for a while. I can see why it won so many awards. A touching and unforgettable read.
Adding this one to my favorite shelf! Under This Unbroken Sky is largely a character-driven novel that captures the emotional reality of the immigrant experience in 1930s Canada. Beautifully and powerfully written, the author immerses us in the lives of a Ukrainian family fighting to survive the unforgiving prairies. The novel explores family loyalty, hardship, resilience, betrayal, and cultural displacement, with much of the tension and drama arising from the characters’ choices. I was really drawn to these characters, and this novel will stay with me for a while. I can see why it won so many awards. A touching and unforgettable read.
May 20, 2017
I love farm stories. I attribute this to the fact that I loved reading and watching Little House on the Prairie. So in a way, this book reminded me of LHOTP except that it takes place in late 1930's and it's SO MUCH DARKER
This was a fantastic read. I could not put it down. I needed to know what happened next!
Taking place in Alberta, Canada Under This Unbroken Sky tackles the concept of picking up where you left off. Not exactly a 2nd chance but more like the will to come back and restart the one you were currently living. That's what Teodor, father of the Mykolayenko family, must undergo. The book starts off with him being released from prison for stealing grain to feed his starving family.
Teodor return to his wife Maria and their 5 kids and must now pick up where he left off. Luckily, Teodor has stubbornness and hope in quiet abundance. He will pick up where he left off. He will put his awful time in jail behind him. He will sow the field. He will toil on the farm. And he will reap the benefits. He escaped Ukraine with his family during Stalin's regime for a promised land. A land of opportunity and he intends to make sure it delivers its promise.
The book goes through the narrative of every member in the family including Teo's sister Anna and her 2 children. All together that's 11 narratives. Eleven different narratives set against a farm backdrop and yet Mitchell does a stupendous job with giving each their own narrative, voice, and personality. What I especially liked was the flow of family life both around the farm and among one another. Despite all their hardship, this family has held strong. The subtle way they go about their chores created a very quaint emotion within me. I don't understand why it is that I get this satisfaction when I read stories about people going about their normal every day lives. From planning what to plant in the vegetable garden, to cooking and preserving, to mending clothes and knitting socks. It's hard work grueling work in reality but the skill of Mitchell's narration made it seem cosy and enticing.
It's actually beautiful how Mitchell was able to show a farmer's relation to their land. This sense of pride and possession. Accomplishments, struggles, and losses effect the family both internally and externally. As in, if there was issues within the family, it shows itself on the farm and vice versa. Another amazing thing Mitchell did was compare the struggles on documentation vs. the effect on the farmers. What I mean is if, for example, there was a fire, you see it through the eyes of the farmers. You see and feel the fear and struggle in combating a wildfire and the inevitable anger and frustration as the farmer must now count his losses. You know as the reader what each grain means for the farmer and yet when you read it in the newspaper in comparison, it seems distant. You just see it as there being a fire and that damage was inevitably done. You, as the reader, are not seeing the fire right in front of you so in turn just see it as an event that occurred today. This stark comparison causes a slight discomfort and quiet outrage to the reader as a couple pages ago they were reading about a blazing fire and on the next page is a demure small article about said fire.
There is another direction this book takes. A much darker one that overlays the farming route. Anna, Teo's elder sister.
She too escaped Stalin's regime with her husband Stephan but life did not work itself out for her.
Unlike her brother Teo who had his stubborn hope and the support and love of his family, Anna had no one. Stephan ran out on her leaving her with 2 young children and one on the way. Lost within herself Anna slips little by little in her own sorrow, depression, loneliness, and, dare I say, madness. Stephan was not a well liked man back in Ukraine. Anna knew this yet her desire for a better life, for a life away from the fate of being a farmer's wife burned more then the prairie wildfires. All she knew was that Stephan gave her the attention she wanted and that was enough for her. Fast forward many years and now she is women who has, in her mind, lost it all.
This book is essentially a compare and contrast novel. Depicting 2 families and how they deal with the troubles life sends their way. One takes life's struggles with ease, flow, and a hardworking mindset. The other caves within itself and despairs. Interestingly enough, it also shows how your mindset and outlook shapes the actions you take and the road your life takes as it is only you who holds the reign.
I must read for all.
This was a fantastic read. I could not put it down. I needed to know what happened next!
Taking place in Alberta, Canada Under This Unbroken Sky tackles the concept of picking up where you left off. Not exactly a 2nd chance but more like the will to come back and restart the one you were currently living. That's what Teodor, father of the Mykolayenko family, must undergo. The book starts off with him being released from prison for stealing grain to feed his starving family.
Teodor return to his wife Maria and their 5 kids and must now pick up where he left off. Luckily, Teodor has stubbornness and hope in quiet abundance. He will pick up where he left off. He will put his awful time in jail behind him. He will sow the field. He will toil on the farm. And he will reap the benefits. He escaped Ukraine with his family during Stalin's regime for a promised land. A land of opportunity and he intends to make sure it delivers its promise.
The book goes through the narrative of every member in the family including Teo's sister Anna and her 2 children. All together that's 11 narratives. Eleven different narratives set against a farm backdrop and yet Mitchell does a stupendous job with giving each their own narrative, voice, and personality. What I especially liked was the flow of family life both around the farm and among one another. Despite all their hardship, this family has held strong. The subtle way they go about their chores created a very quaint emotion within me. I don't understand why it is that I get this satisfaction when I read stories about people going about their normal every day lives. From planning what to plant in the vegetable garden, to cooking and preserving, to mending clothes and knitting socks. It's hard work grueling work in reality but the skill of Mitchell's narration made it seem cosy and enticing.
It's actually beautiful how Mitchell was able to show a farmer's relation to their land. This sense of pride and possession. Accomplishments, struggles, and losses effect the family both internally and externally. As in, if there was issues within the family, it shows itself on the farm and vice versa. Another amazing thing Mitchell did was compare the struggles on documentation vs. the effect on the farmers. What I mean is if, for example, there was a fire, you see it through the eyes of the farmers. You see and feel the fear and struggle in combating a wildfire and the inevitable anger and frustration as the farmer must now count his losses. You know as the reader what each grain means for the farmer and yet when you read it in the newspaper in comparison, it seems distant. You just see it as there being a fire and that damage was inevitably done. You, as the reader, are not seeing the fire right in front of you so in turn just see it as an event that occurred today. This stark comparison causes a slight discomfort and quiet outrage to the reader as a couple pages ago they were reading about a blazing fire and on the next page is a demure small article about said fire.
There is another direction this book takes. A much darker one that overlays the farming route. Anna, Teo's elder sister.
She too escaped Stalin's regime with her husband Stephan but life did not work itself out for her.
Unlike her brother Teo who had his stubborn hope and the support and love of his family, Anna had no one. Stephan ran out on her leaving her with 2 young children and one on the way. Lost within herself Anna slips little by little in her own sorrow, depression, loneliness, and, dare I say, madness. Stephan was not a well liked man back in Ukraine. Anna knew this yet her desire for a better life, for a life away from the fate of being a farmer's wife burned more then the prairie wildfires. All she knew was that Stephan gave her the attention she wanted and that was enough for her. Fast forward many years and now she is women who has, in her mind, lost it all.
This book is essentially a compare and contrast novel. Depicting 2 families and how they deal with the troubles life sends their way. One takes life's struggles with ease, flow, and a hardworking mindset. The other caves within itself and despairs. Interestingly enough, it also shows how your mindset and outlook shapes the actions you take and the road your life takes as it is only you who holds the reign.
I must read for all.
November 14, 2021
A debut novel published in 2009.
Shandi Mitchell is an award-winning Canadian film director, screenwriter, and author.
This book won the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize, and the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award.
Back when this book was first released, I read it since she’s a local Nova Scotia author. And at that time lived down the road from me.
We know from the opening:
There is a black and white photograph of a family: a man, woman, and five children. Scrawled on the back, in tight archaic script, are the words Willow Creek, Alberta, 1933. This will be their only photograph together.
And at the end of this opening section:
Within three years, this farm will be foreclosed. Two years later, one will die. Two others, of whom there is no photograph, will be murdered.
The story then begins in the spring of 1938.
This is not a light-hearted fun read, but one of family tragedy, Downright gut-wrenching at times. It takes place on the Canadian prairies. Portraying the lives of Ukrainian immigrants.
This book shows how tough life was. Poverty. Starvation. Hard physical labour. Dependence on the land, etc.
We today I believe forget so much of the struggle of our ancestors. I could relate to much to this family’s struggle, even though my ancestors lived in Nova Scotia. They still dependent on their livestock and the food they could grow. They were poor. My grandmother was one of fourteen children. Only five made it into adulthood. One of those five died in his early twenties of appendicitis.
When I read this book years ago, I did not know the author based it on a true story of a murder/suicide. Of distance relatives of the author. I didn’t know of this until a friend on Goodreads told me of her distance family connections to this story in a comment on my review of Shandi Mitchell’s second book, which I had just finished and reviewed. I’d stated in my review that I enjoyed it more than her first book. I want to change that statement now. This book is a total Five Stars. A WOW!
A lot of the details of the story I had forgotten. But the one thing that had stuck from twelve years ago is the description of rabbits. That’s all I’m saying about that.
This book is a page turner.
I cared about these characters. And let me add, Shandi has a special talent for the realistic portrayal of children. I just wanted to reach out and hug them all.
If you are not afraid of a real, raw story. You must read this book!
Shandi Mitchell is an award-winning Canadian film director, screenwriter, and author.
This book won the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize, and the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award.
Back when this book was first released, I read it since she’s a local Nova Scotia author. And at that time lived down the road from me.
We know from the opening:
There is a black and white photograph of a family: a man, woman, and five children. Scrawled on the back, in tight archaic script, are the words Willow Creek, Alberta, 1933. This will be their only photograph together.
And at the end of this opening section:
Within three years, this farm will be foreclosed. Two years later, one will die. Two others, of whom there is no photograph, will be murdered.
The story then begins in the spring of 1938.
This is not a light-hearted fun read, but one of family tragedy, Downright gut-wrenching at times. It takes place on the Canadian prairies. Portraying the lives of Ukrainian immigrants.
This book shows how tough life was. Poverty. Starvation. Hard physical labour. Dependence on the land, etc.
We today I believe forget so much of the struggle of our ancestors. I could relate to much to this family’s struggle, even though my ancestors lived in Nova Scotia. They still dependent on their livestock and the food they could grow. They were poor. My grandmother was one of fourteen children. Only five made it into adulthood. One of those five died in his early twenties of appendicitis.
When I read this book years ago, I did not know the author based it on a true story of a murder/suicide. Of distance relatives of the author. I didn’t know of this until a friend on Goodreads told me of her distance family connections to this story in a comment on my review of Shandi Mitchell’s second book, which I had just finished and reviewed. I’d stated in my review that I enjoyed it more than her first book. I want to change that statement now. This book is a total Five Stars. A WOW!
A lot of the details of the story I had forgotten. But the one thing that had stuck from twelve years ago is the description of rabbits. That’s all I’m saying about that.
This book is a page turner.
I cared about these characters. And let me add, Shandi has a special talent for the realistic portrayal of children. I just wanted to reach out and hug them all.
If you are not afraid of a real, raw story. You must read this book!
December 11, 2011
This book was a great surprise. I bought it on impulse about a year ago, but had not got around to reading it. What took me so long to read it was the sense that it would be very bleak. There is no doubt that the story is bleak, and the sense of foreboding set off by the first few pages pervades the book. However, Mitchell does an amazing job of depicting the hard and complicated life and personalities of her characters, that I found myself being consumed by the story and enjoying all the minute details of the story. Also, despite the sense of foreboding and the knowledge that things will inevitably end badly, the road to the end and the denouement were not predictable. I would happily read another book by Mitchell, and also it made me curious about the lives of East European immigrants who settled in the prairies in the early 20th century.
December 28, 2014
This debut novel by Canadian author Shandi Mitchell packs quite a punch! The blue sky and billowing prairie clouds which grace the cover of one edition of the book and the innocent teacup dangling from a cup-hook on the dust-jacket of another edition belie the power of the story within.
The cover image of a vast prairie landscape inspires in me a sense of awe and wonder and evokes memories of joyous childhood summers in Saskatchewan visiting relatives. Although the beginning of the story -- a description of an old photograph -- clearly foreshadows impending tragedy, the cover image primed me for a wholesome story with a happy ending and I hopped, skipped, and jumped into the book wearing my rose-coloured glasses. As the story drew to a close, however, the lenses had become distinctively charcoal gray -- and so had my mood.
Most of the story takes place in a relatively small space (in one or the other of the two log houses on an Alberta homestead, a distance which a child could walk in a few minutes in good weather), but it is a very complex tale, a tangle of experiences, memories, and emotions. It revolves around the conflict between two adult men, brothers-in-law who had emigrated from the Ukraine to Alberta during the Stalinist regime -- Teodor (a Ukrainian farmer who had fled to Germany, and then to Canada, with his wife and children) and Stefan (an officer in Stalin's army, husband of Teodor's sister).
The two men respond very differently to the challenge of eking out a living in the isolated, harsh, and unpredictable prairie environment. Stefan is unable to tolerate the wide open spaces, especially the vast expanse of snow, and flees in the winter-time to the village for the comfort and the social interaction available there. Teodor loves the land and works hard through the challenges of all seasons to provide for his own and his sister's families.
Throughout the story, the two men struggle with themselves, with each other, and with their own psychological wounds. It seems ironic that the space which represents freedom to one man imprisons the other and, ultimately, the deceptively spacious setting of the Canadian prairie entraps all the characters, with tragic consequences for their families.
As a first novel, this is an impressive story. The author, a seasoned filmmaker, demonstrates a profound and sensitive understanding of the human condition. This powerful story has prompted me to re-evaluate my rosy memories of the odd collection of eccentric aunts, uncles, and cousins who populated my childhood. With some additional editorial improvements to eliminate the occasional cumbersome sentence structure, to tighten up some excessively wordy passages, and to correct some grammatical errors, it would be a five-star book. In its present state, it earns four stars from me.
The cover image of a vast prairie landscape inspires in me a sense of awe and wonder and evokes memories of joyous childhood summers in Saskatchewan visiting relatives. Although the beginning of the story -- a description of an old photograph -- clearly foreshadows impending tragedy, the cover image primed me for a wholesome story with a happy ending and I hopped, skipped, and jumped into the book wearing my rose-coloured glasses. As the story drew to a close, however, the lenses had become distinctively charcoal gray -- and so had my mood.
Most of the story takes place in a relatively small space (in one or the other of the two log houses on an Alberta homestead, a distance which a child could walk in a few minutes in good weather), but it is a very complex tale, a tangle of experiences, memories, and emotions. It revolves around the conflict between two adult men, brothers-in-law who had emigrated from the Ukraine to Alberta during the Stalinist regime -- Teodor (a Ukrainian farmer who had fled to Germany, and then to Canada, with his wife and children) and Stefan (an officer in Stalin's army, husband of Teodor's sister).
The two men respond very differently to the challenge of eking out a living in the isolated, harsh, and unpredictable prairie environment. Stefan is unable to tolerate the wide open spaces, especially the vast expanse of snow, and flees in the winter-time to the village for the comfort and the social interaction available there. Teodor loves the land and works hard through the challenges of all seasons to provide for his own and his sister's families.
Throughout the story, the two men struggle with themselves, with each other, and with their own psychological wounds. It seems ironic that the space which represents freedom to one man imprisons the other and, ultimately, the deceptively spacious setting of the Canadian prairie entraps all the characters, with tragic consequences for their families.
As a first novel, this is an impressive story. The author, a seasoned filmmaker, demonstrates a profound and sensitive understanding of the human condition. This powerful story has prompted me to re-evaluate my rosy memories of the odd collection of eccentric aunts, uncles, and cousins who populated my childhood. With some additional editorial improvements to eliminate the occasional cumbersome sentence structure, to tighten up some excessively wordy passages, and to correct some grammatical errors, it would be a five-star book. In its present state, it earns four stars from me.
January 15, 2025
This book has been on my TBR for far too long - and it was brilliant. I'll try to keep it spoiler free as best I can...
Set in the late 30's in Alberta, this is the story of a Ukrainian family who has escaped Ukraine and the Holodomor and settled on a prairie farm. There is a clear villain in Stefan, Anna's husband, and a hero in Teodor, Anna's brother, who is sometimes flawed but underneath a good man who simply wants to farm the land and care for his family (wife Maria and 5 children).
There were things that shouldn't have worked in this story that actually did work beautifully. There are endless descriptions of mundane things - a thread from a mitten, what someone is thinking that seems inconsequential - but the reader is left knowing each of these characters intimately. Every family member has a point of view - from the adults down to the youngest of the children, each point of view written appropriately for that age, and switching from one to the other often. It's also written in third person present tense, which at first gives the feeling of "telling" the reader what is happening, but creates a very effective omniscience. The switches are not jarring, and having distinctive voices for each character means there is little confusion. The reader "sees all" as the story unravels.
I confess I gave this a 4 star instead of a 5 because of the ending. SLIGHT SPOILER: This is definitely literary fiction, and as such a happy/optimistic ending is not an expectation. At the same time, I was so hoping for a sense of justice in the end that was missing.
Set in the late 30's in Alberta, this is the story of a Ukrainian family who has escaped Ukraine and the Holodomor and settled on a prairie farm. There is a clear villain in Stefan, Anna's husband, and a hero in Teodor, Anna's brother, who is sometimes flawed but underneath a good man who simply wants to farm the land and care for his family (wife Maria and 5 children).
There were things that shouldn't have worked in this story that actually did work beautifully. There are endless descriptions of mundane things - a thread from a mitten, what someone is thinking that seems inconsequential - but the reader is left knowing each of these characters intimately. Every family member has a point of view - from the adults down to the youngest of the children, each point of view written appropriately for that age, and switching from one to the other often. It's also written in third person present tense, which at first gives the feeling of "telling" the reader what is happening, but creates a very effective omniscience. The switches are not jarring, and having distinctive voices for each character means there is little confusion. The reader "sees all" as the story unravels.
I confess I gave this a 4 star instead of a 5 because of the ending. SLIGHT SPOILER: This is definitely literary fiction, and as such a happy/optimistic ending is not an expectation. At the same time, I was so hoping for a sense of justice in the end that was missing.
July 27, 2020
This is an artfully written tragedy about a Ukrainian immigrant family struggling to survive on an Alberta homestead in the late 1930's. It is a dark story, as the family slowly self destructs due to the various hardships they encounter...discrimination, the language barrier, mental health and substance abuse issues, and the unforgiving landscape. The author does a beautiful job of describing the landscape, and a decent job of describing farm life, although I am a tough critic on this part as I am an Alberta farmer. It made me think of the hardships my immigrant grandparents likely faced trying to farm in a strange land in the same time period, when there was little help for new immigrants, and few social supports.
April 13, 2011
The struggle and tragedy that befell the Ukrainian immigrants to Canada is portrayed with gut wrenching precision. This story may be fictional, but the truth behind its telling could be repeated by those who lived and died in similar circumstances.
Ms. Mitchell jumps into the story with an overload of characters that are a challenge to keep clear. The first few pages appear difficult, leaving the reader a little lost. With the passing of time, the story unfolds like a movie and individuals emerge with clarity and depth. The flow of events contains a few instances of back-story thoughts that interrupt forward movement, but they add necessary intensity of understanding and widen the readers over all experience.
Poverty is shown in precise words, actions and deeds, the details of which could be disturbing to some readers. When going without, so others may live, is a fact of daily life it becomes a reality most readers of today have never suffered. Food is produced, harvested, preserved and stored and every family member participates. Winter becomes a time of rationing, so their stores will sustain them through the harsh, cold winter months, until spring arrives. The unimaginable emotional roller coaster spares no one, as the highs and lows of survival take their toll.
The writing is full of realism and the story unfolds in unmistakable detail. The reader will cheer inside with each triumph and ache with every mounting struggle, willing the characters to challenge impossible odds. There are, however, even in these dire circumstances fleeting moments of joy and glimpses of happiness from simple, un-profound events.
Ms. Mitchell has done an amazing job of pulling the reader back in time, forcing them to see, hear, taste and feel, to become a part of the story.
I found this work to be of the highest quality, a definite page turner. She has presented a glimpse into the harshness and brutality of a time not easily forgotten. The faces haunting your mind and the emotions of your heart will be forever branded by her story. ...
Ms. Mitchell jumps into the story with an overload of characters that are a challenge to keep clear. The first few pages appear difficult, leaving the reader a little lost. With the passing of time, the story unfolds like a movie and individuals emerge with clarity and depth. The flow of events contains a few instances of back-story thoughts that interrupt forward movement, but they add necessary intensity of understanding and widen the readers over all experience.
Poverty is shown in precise words, actions and deeds, the details of which could be disturbing to some readers. When going without, so others may live, is a fact of daily life it becomes a reality most readers of today have never suffered. Food is produced, harvested, preserved and stored and every family member participates. Winter becomes a time of rationing, so their stores will sustain them through the harsh, cold winter months, until spring arrives. The unimaginable emotional roller coaster spares no one, as the highs and lows of survival take their toll.
The writing is full of realism and the story unfolds in unmistakable detail. The reader will cheer inside with each triumph and ache with every mounting struggle, willing the characters to challenge impossible odds. There are, however, even in these dire circumstances fleeting moments of joy and glimpses of happiness from simple, un-profound events.
Ms. Mitchell has done an amazing job of pulling the reader back in time, forcing them to see, hear, taste and feel, to become a part of the story.
I found this work to be of the highest quality, a definite page turner. She has presented a glimpse into the harshness and brutality of a time not easily forgotten. The faces haunting your mind and the emotions of your heart will be forever branded by her story. ...
August 8, 2009
Set in 1937 Canada, Under This Unbroken Sky tells the story of two families at odds. Ukrainian immigrant Teodor Mykolayenko, his wife, and their five children are struggling to farm the prairie land they hope to someday own. Due to Teodor's recent incarceration (because of him "stealing" his own grain), he is uneligible to own land in his own name. Agreeing to help him out, his partially unhinged sister Anna buys the homestead, with the arrangement that after he pays her back the land will be his. Anna has troubles of her own, with a good-for-nothing alcoholic husband (Stefan) who has, once again, abandoned her and her two children. The trouble really starts when Stefan returns home, prepared to reap the rewards of "his" land.
When I first started this novel, I wasn't sure I would like it due to the writing style. It's written in the present tense, with short and sometimes simple sentences. To me, it almost read like a screen-play, and I found it jarring the first 50 pages. Once I got used to the style, however, this book completely sucked me in. By the end of the book, I appreciated the writer's style because it fits the tone of the story so well. This is an intense read; things start to spiral out of control for the characters and you can't help but really feel for them. This book will have you reading into the wee hours of the night to see what happens. I highly recommend it, and will be looking forward to the author's next book.
When I first started this novel, I wasn't sure I would like it due to the writing style. It's written in the present tense, with short and sometimes simple sentences. To me, it almost read like a screen-play, and I found it jarring the first 50 pages. Once I got used to the style, however, this book completely sucked me in. By the end of the book, I appreciated the writer's style because it fits the tone of the story so well. This is an intense read; things start to spiral out of control for the characters and you can't help but really feel for them. This book will have you reading into the wee hours of the night to see what happens. I highly recommend it, and will be looking forward to the author's next book.
August 24, 2009
Under This Unbroken Sky is the story of the families of Teodor, and his sister Anna, Ukrainian immigrants to the northern Canadian prairie. Set in 1938, farming life on the cold prairie was harsh and their very existence was a struggle to survive.
Drought, greed, starvation, child abuse, murder, rape, - Incredibly dark and depressing you struggle through their daily hardships with tragedy after tragedy. The descriptions in the book are well done, but I did not care for the mostly present tense writing and thought it made the flow choppy. I also thought that much of the violence in the book was there for the shock value of violence. The story line seemed foggy to me, as if there was some other story that was going to come about, but didn't.
Drought, greed, starvation, child abuse, murder, rape, - Incredibly dark and depressing you struggle through their daily hardships with tragedy after tragedy. The descriptions in the book are well done, but I did not care for the mostly present tense writing and thought it made the flow choppy. I also thought that much of the violence in the book was there for the shock value of violence. The story line seemed foggy to me, as if there was some other story that was going to come about, but didn't.
April 15, 2018
Beautifully told, tragic, engrossing story of Ukrainian Canadian pioneers.
September 10, 2025
Anyone who has Ukrainian heritage and most people who don’t should read this. Heartbreaking and an eye opening account of the difficulties faced by Ukrainian immigrants to northern Alberta.
September 15, 2025
3.5
A memorable book, though far from enjoyable. Both classically Canadian—think: Margaret Atwood’s Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature—and Hardyesque. I think Mitchell pushed the suffering too far. Having said all this, there is much the author got right about the Ukrainian immigrant settler experience in western Canada.
A memorable book, though far from enjoyable. Both classically Canadian—think: Margaret Atwood’s Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature—and Hardyesque. I think Mitchell pushed the suffering too far. Having said all this, there is much the author got right about the Ukrainian immigrant settler experience in western Canada.
November 3, 2009
Such a beautifully written, un-putdownable story of a Ukrainian immigrant family struggling to settle a homestead in the prairies of Alberta. It is some of the best storytelling I've read this year- full, rich characters, suspense and drama without melodrama, historical accuracy without pedantry.
I had to remind myself while reading that this was set in 1938 and not the 1870's. The families in the novel lived hand-to-mouth, farmed, built their homes, and lived their lives without electricity or machinery other than plow and hand tools, and counted their wealth in pennies, chickens and embroidered linens.
While there is no shortage of novels focused on the immigrant experience in North America, there can never be too many wonderfully crafted stories of characters for whom you develop strong feelings, set in places that inspire the imagination, relating experiences that dramatize history and make it come alive.
I had to remind myself while reading that this was set in 1938 and not the 1870's. The families in the novel lived hand-to-mouth, farmed, built their homes, and lived their lives without electricity or machinery other than plow and hand tools, and counted their wealth in pennies, chickens and embroidered linens.
While there is no shortage of novels focused on the immigrant experience in North America, there can never be too many wonderfully crafted stories of characters for whom you develop strong feelings, set in places that inspire the imagination, relating experiences that dramatize history and make it come alive.
August 9, 2016
I chose this book initially for the Cross Canada Challenge. I expected it to be a snoozefest and wasn't all that keen on reading it. That's a strange approach to a book for me. Why would I even bother to read it if I was dreading it? I'm happy to say that I was surprised! I really enjoyed this book!
The writing was lyrical, and the imagery painted by the words was beautiful. The story was suspenseful and tragic.
This story was set in Alberta during the dirty thirties. It reminded me of my grandparents who emigrated here in 1912. They too had a homestead on the prairie and lived through the hardships of the harsh winters.
The writing was lyrical, and the imagery painted by the words was beautiful. The story was suspenseful and tragic.
This story was set in Alberta during the dirty thirties. It reminded me of my grandparents who emigrated here in 1912. They too had a homestead on the prairie and lived through the hardships of the harsh winters.
April 12, 2012
Under This Unbroken Sky is an incredible debut. The author tells the story of an Ukrainian family who immigrate to Canada in the 1930's, and face hardships, tragedy, poverty, prejudice and discrimination. Despite their hard lives, they often shine through with strength and determination. The author takes each character, including the children, and fleshes them out with substance and authenticity. The reader knows each person, seeing how they think and how they see the world. Each character is an integral part of the bigger story, but has their own story as well. While this book is hard to read at times, it is truly exquisite writing—I loved (most of) this one!
March 3, 2016
The stark and emotional story of a Ukrainian immigrant family in late 1930s Alberta, Canada. Hardship, hunger, and hard work are the main theme. A brother and his wife and family toil to make a home and a life on land signed for by the man's sister. The brother-in-law, consumed with greed and jealousy leaves his wife and children, comes back and tries to get control of the land and new house to sell them. His wife, broken by her husband's cruelty and emotionally detached from her children survive at the other family's generosity and hard work. In the end, only tragedy and loss.
Very well written and easy to read. A very sad story.
Very well written and easy to read. A very sad story.
March 18, 2022
This book is wonderful! A very real and often tragic story of Ukrainian immigrants granted land as homesteaders on the northern Canadian prairies. So many lovely poignant and intimate moments interspersed with tragic hardships for these foreign settlers. I embraced them all especially the children and women in their fraught kinships. Reading it now with war in Ukraine broadened my understanding of how people are made to feel alone, misunderstood and unsupported.
July 28, 2009
Stark, introspective narrative about the hardships of an immigrant family in Depression Era Canada. The story is told through the voices and viewpoints of many family members. Normally I would find this one a little too tragic for my taste but I think the writer did an exceptional job of keeping me engaged and she really tapped into my emotions: sympathy, sorrow, frustration, anger, and others.
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