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Souvenirs from Kyiv
‘Russia has been trying to wipe Ukraine off the world map for thousands of years. They haven’t succeeded yet. Now, I’m picking up my stone and throwing it at Goliath. I want people to understand. I want to save this country.’ Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, March 2022
Larissa is a renowned embroiderer, surviving in occupied Ukraine during World War II as a seamstress in her ruin of a workshop. Surrounded by enemies, she expresses her defiance by threading history into her garments. But at what cost?
Mykhailo is a soldier on leave, returning to Ukraine from the front on Christmas Eve. As he travels through his country, he is confronted by the hardship the war has brought to his fellow countrymen. Will what he sees this Christmas change the course of his life forever?
Marusia and her family are woken early one morning by the arrival of the Nazis, who have come to search for her partisan brother. As the soldiers move through their house, her family has just moments to make choices that will determine their survival.
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger’s stories bring to life the true history of her Ukrainian family who fought to survive World War II. Laced with hope, Souvenirs from Kyiv celebrates the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
Souvenirs from Kyiv was awarded 2nd Place in the 2014 HNS International Short Story Award and the collection won the silver medal in the IPPY Book Awards 2020 for Military and Wartime fiction.
Praise for Souvenirs from Kyiv:
‘I am stunned by the sad beauty . . . That's how I feel after reading a really brilliant book.’ Marina Osipova, author of How Dare the Birds Sing
Larissa is a renowned embroiderer, surviving in occupied Ukraine during World War II as a seamstress in her ruin of a workshop. Surrounded by enemies, she expresses her defiance by threading history into her garments. But at what cost?
Mykhailo is a soldier on leave, returning to Ukraine from the front on Christmas Eve. As he travels through his country, he is confronted by the hardship the war has brought to his fellow countrymen. Will what he sees this Christmas change the course of his life forever?
Marusia and her family are woken early one morning by the arrival of the Nazis, who have come to search for her partisan brother. As the soldiers move through their house, her family has just moments to make choices that will determine their survival.
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger’s stories bring to life the true history of her Ukrainian family who fought to survive World War II. Laced with hope, Souvenirs from Kyiv celebrates the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
Souvenirs from Kyiv was awarded 2nd Place in the 2014 HNS International Short Story Award and the collection won the silver medal in the IPPY Book Awards 2020 for Military and Wartime fiction.
Praise for Souvenirs from Kyiv:
‘I am stunned by the sad beauty . . . That's how I feel after reading a really brilliant book.’ Marina Osipova, author of How Dare the Birds Sing
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2020
219 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
17 books250 followersAward-winning historical fiction!
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a Ukrainian-American who transplanted to Austria.
Born in 1969, she grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of "Nordeast" Minneapolis and started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, and worked as a journalist and managing magazine editor, before jumping the desk and pursuing her own writing and traveling.
Her books tackle David-vs.-Goliath themes with strong women battling for the Underdogs against a system, be it political, geographical, or industrial. Sometimes all three. "I enjoy discovering the good, the bad, and the ugly in my characters when they come into conflict," she says. "And all of my stories have been inspired by injustices I've discovered along my travels."
The RESCHEN VALLEY series is based on the South Tyrolean-Italian conflict during the interwar period and was inspired by her travels to the Reschen Lake reservoir.
Her collection of short stories, which "reads like a novel", SOUVENIRS FROM KYIV won the silver medal in the IPPY Book Awards 2020 and features six stories inspired by true accounts from WW2 Ukraine. THE WOMAN AT THE GATES is what she identifies as her magnum opus and is based on her family in WW2 Ukraine.
THE GIRL FROM THE MOUNTAINS was inspired by an anecdote about a Nazi family from Austria.
The DIPLOMAT'S WIFE trilogy (released in 2023) follows Kitty Larsson, a U.S. senator's daughter who marries an Austrian diplomat before the Anschluss, only to discover that his family is not what she thought they were. Part spy-thriller, part political-thriller, the series promises a wild romp as Kitty navigates the events of WW2 with her moral compass in hand.
And in 2024, Chrystyna's first middle-grade historical fiction novel will be published by Scholastic USA. Set in 2014 Sevastopol, SWIMMING WITH SPIES is about 12-year-old Sofiya who is forced to wrestle with her Ukrainian identity as Russians swarm her peninsula and annex it. When they threaten to seize the dolphins in her father's care, she races against time to save them from a brutal fate.
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a Ukrainian-American who transplanted to Austria.
Born in 1969, she grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of "Nordeast" Minneapolis and started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, and worked as a journalist and managing magazine editor, before jumping the desk and pursuing her own writing and traveling.
Her books tackle David-vs.-Goliath themes with strong women battling for the Underdogs against a system, be it political, geographical, or industrial. Sometimes all three. "I enjoy discovering the good, the bad, and the ugly in my characters when they come into conflict," she says. "And all of my stories have been inspired by injustices I've discovered along my travels."
The RESCHEN VALLEY series is based on the South Tyrolean-Italian conflict during the interwar period and was inspired by her travels to the Reschen Lake reservoir.
Her collection of short stories, which "reads like a novel", SOUVENIRS FROM KYIV won the silver medal in the IPPY Book Awards 2020 and features six stories inspired by true accounts from WW2 Ukraine. THE WOMAN AT THE GATES is what she identifies as her magnum opus and is based on her family in WW2 Ukraine.
THE GIRL FROM THE MOUNTAINS was inspired by an anecdote about a Nazi family from Austria.
The DIPLOMAT'S WIFE trilogy (released in 2023) follows Kitty Larsson, a U.S. senator's daughter who marries an Austrian diplomat before the Anschluss, only to discover that his family is not what she thought they were. Part spy-thriller, part political-thriller, the series promises a wild romp as Kitty navigates the events of WW2 with her moral compass in hand.
And in 2024, Chrystyna's first middle-grade historical fiction novel will be published by Scholastic USA. Set in 2014 Sevastopol, SWIMMING WITH SPIES is about 12-year-old Sofiya who is forced to wrestle with her Ukrainian identity as Russians swarm her peninsula and annex it. When they threaten to seize the dolphins in her father's care, she races against time to save them from a brutal fate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
December 29, 2020
One of the best WWII books I’ve ever read
By the impression Souvenirs from Kiev made on me, I would compare this book to The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. Disturbing in their descriptions of the brutality experienced in war, mesmerizing in its literary expressions, authentic as a chronicle told in the voices of six different people—some in first person, some in third, some in past, some in present, but always moving the reader forward through the history of the war—from 1942 to the end. And each character is somehow connected to the last; each character picks up where the other one left off, moving from the east in Kiev and Kharkiv, to ending in Bavaria, Germany in a displaced persons camp. The author’s mastery in language is meant for writing stories like these. Her craft is simply powerful.
It was an emotional read for me. I connected with the main characters and felt as though they were telling their stories to me personally. I empathized with their sufferings, cringed about some situations they ended up in, got goose bumps at unexpected acts of kindness, and thrilled (the last story) at the happy ending at least for one particular family, who after years of being immersed in the horror that is war--including time in a German labor camp-- are able to once again recognize there is always—at some level—goodness to be found. It is a strong message of hope; a strong message of reuniting on a human scale. I will not reveal any more details as not to spoil your pleasure in discovering what awaits you in these six stories, inspired by the author’s relatives’ personal accounts. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in war stories.
By the impression Souvenirs from Kiev made on me, I would compare this book to The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. Disturbing in their descriptions of the brutality experienced in war, mesmerizing in its literary expressions, authentic as a chronicle told in the voices of six different people—some in first person, some in third, some in past, some in present, but always moving the reader forward through the history of the war—from 1942 to the end. And each character is somehow connected to the last; each character picks up where the other one left off, moving from the east in Kiev and Kharkiv, to ending in Bavaria, Germany in a displaced persons camp. The author’s mastery in language is meant for writing stories like these. Her craft is simply powerful.
It was an emotional read for me. I connected with the main characters and felt as though they were telling their stories to me personally. I empathized with their sufferings, cringed about some situations they ended up in, got goose bumps at unexpected acts of kindness, and thrilled (the last story) at the happy ending at least for one particular family, who after years of being immersed in the horror that is war--including time in a German labor camp-- are able to once again recognize there is always—at some level—goodness to be found. It is a strong message of hope; a strong message of reuniting on a human scale. I will not reveal any more details as not to spoil your pleasure in discovering what awaits you in these six stories, inspired by the author’s relatives’ personal accounts. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in war stories.
March 30, 2022
Familiar with this author’s work, I gobbled up this collection, reading from start to finish over a few cups of coffee!
Merriam-Webster defines a souvenir as “something kept as a reminder,” and Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger has done just that - provided us with something tangible, a reminder, of Ukrainians’ oppression and the seeds of fortitude that were planted.
Lucyk-Berger has compiled a collection of memories featuring the struggles of Ukrainians before, during and after WW2 as Germany and Russia fought for control of this resource-rich country. Reading this collection of 6 stories allows readers insight into the threads of strength, perseverance, loss, fear, suffering, hope, love, and kindness as they are woven into each Ukrainian family and relied upon to navigate through destruction on a harrowing escape from tyranny and now, in a fight for their democracy. What we are seeing today is not a new fight, it’s the continuation of a decades-old one.
For those of us unfamiliar with this country and its history, the author has included a map, a glossary, and historical background.
A worthy read based on the author’s family and extensive research.
I was gifted this advance copy by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Merriam-Webster defines a souvenir as “something kept as a reminder,” and Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger has done just that - provided us with something tangible, a reminder, of Ukrainians’ oppression and the seeds of fortitude that were planted.
Lucyk-Berger has compiled a collection of memories featuring the struggles of Ukrainians before, during and after WW2 as Germany and Russia fought for control of this resource-rich country. Reading this collection of 6 stories allows readers insight into the threads of strength, perseverance, loss, fear, suffering, hope, love, and kindness as they are woven into each Ukrainian family and relied upon to navigate through destruction on a harrowing escape from tyranny and now, in a fight for their democracy. What we are seeing today is not a new fight, it’s the continuation of a decades-old one.
For those of us unfamiliar with this country and its history, the author has included a map, a glossary, and historical background.
A worthy read based on the author’s family and extensive research.
I was gifted this advance copy by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
May 1, 2022
As the author so poignantly states in her introduction to this collection of six short stories about Ukraine and Ukrainians in WWII, “Russia has been trying to wipe Ukraine off the world map for thousands of years. They haven’t succeeded yet. Now I’m picking up my stone and throwing it at Goliath. I want people to understand. I want to save this country.”
We understand. We want to save it too. And it is an especially poignant experience reading these stories right now, with Putin’s cruel and unnecessary war still raging (April 2022). Based on the memories of her own family members, the collection brings their varied experiences vividly to life and demonstrates all too tragically that Ukraine is no stranger to atrocity and brutality, inflicted by both the Germans and the Russians. Perhaps the stories cannot lay claim to any great literary merit, being straightforward narrative accounts, but that really doesn’t seem to matter, for they are powerful and moving nonetheless, particularly so as they are based on real life. A timely and relevant read.
We understand. We want to save it too. And it is an especially poignant experience reading these stories right now, with Putin’s cruel and unnecessary war still raging (April 2022). Based on the memories of her own family members, the collection brings their varied experiences vividly to life and demonstrates all too tragically that Ukraine is no stranger to atrocity and brutality, inflicted by both the Germans and the Russians. Perhaps the stories cannot lay claim to any great literary merit, being straightforward narrative accounts, but that really doesn’t seem to matter, for they are powerful and moving nonetheless, particularly so as they are based on real life. A timely and relevant read.
January 21, 2020
I enjoyed these stories and the circumstances portrayed. These stories opened my eyes to a part of WWII we never read about. Not only was there much persecution, but refugees were under the rule of two different regimes, Russian and the Nazis at different times.
The stories are fictionalized accounts of the author's relatives. I am so glad she decided to tell these stories. She includes notes at the end to help the reader understand the circumstances her relatives faced as well as a brief history of each relative. If you enjoy reading historical novels don't miss this collection.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The stories are fictionalized accounts of the author's relatives. I am so glad she decided to tell these stories. She includes notes at the end to help the reader understand the circumstances her relatives faced as well as a brief history of each relative. If you enjoy reading historical novels don't miss this collection.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2022
A stunning journey into Ukraine’s tragic history during WW2. Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger weaves a heartbreaking, yet hopeful, tapestry of memories and love into several short stories–each page brimming with the strength and beauty of Ukraine and her people.
January 13, 2024
"Souvenirs from Kyiv" is a beautifully written collection of WWII-themed short stories loosely based on the experiences of the author's family members who lived through the war. All of the stories are well-crafted and demonstrate the richness of Ukraine's culture and the complexity of its history. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.
August 29, 2021
I am a long-time fan of Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger’s work, but this book is exceptional. I cannot praise it highly enough. These stories are profound, well-written, and beautifully told. I took the liberty of first reading the background history and biography that appear on the last pages. All are impressive and insightful, and they offer an excellent preamble to the stories.
January 26, 2020
In the book you'll find daily life scenes, political situations, details about the landscape, and even life in a German camp.
Life-work-death reveal emotions and feelings, the importance of small things: bread, shoes, how the forest was used to incite
battles or flee from them.
The book has 6 short stories, where fear is the main character.
The book also has a map, glossary and an interesting and useful historical background that inform about the complex history
of the Ukrainians in the cities and in the countries during the big awful war.
All these make the book complete —almost like a novel--and I even think it would be a useful text for teachers and high school
students.
Unfortunately, few books tell us about the Ukrainians’ plight during WWII.
Congrats to the author.
Life-work-death reveal emotions and feelings, the importance of small things: bread, shoes, how the forest was used to incite
battles or flee from them.
The book has 6 short stories, where fear is the main character.
The book also has a map, glossary and an interesting and useful historical background that inform about the complex history
of the Ukrainians in the cities and in the countries during the big awful war.
All these make the book complete —almost like a novel--and I even think it would be a useful text for teachers and high school
students.
Unfortunately, few books tell us about the Ukrainians’ plight during WWII.
Congrats to the author.
January 19, 2020
People were supposed to be civilized, but in reading this collection you find out that is not the case. People suffered for what they believed in and they are still to this day in Ukraine and their dealings with the Russians. I found this informative, even though it is horrible at some points. Even though it is fiction, the true life experiences are a learning point for people.
April 3, 2022
Heartbreaking. You're there. You feel their pain. Their fear. Their hunger. The despair. You're reminded that all we really know of war is of our own experience, an experience many have only experienced from the safety and security of their television screen or a book. Most of all, you're reminded that there are no winners in war, then or now. It's easy to feel anxiety as we see the past being reflected in the present. While the foreward is new, the book itself details experiences in the second world war but echoes strongly given current events.
I won't detail the stories as you need to meet them head on, with no expectations or screens to fully appreciate the despair and, yes, hope. As I type, the invasion of the Ukraine has entered its second month. We see the scenes on our tv screens, yes, but somehow even that and the starkly shattering scenes captured in pictures never quite lets us inside the heart, hopes, and dreams of the Ukrainian people. In this book, Ukrainian-American author Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger allows us to feel their hearts as she shares her stories of families past. While its it is historical fiction, it is based on stories told to the author by her own family members and the impact that history had on her.
This book was an eye opener. Until recently, I must admit, I had no real knowledge of Ukraine or its people Her foreward, written post invasion, details a brief history of the country, noting that her goal is "to hold up a mirror to our humanity so we can reflect on how we have gotten to where we find ourselves. I write stories to help readers and listeners connect to their ability for empathy. And I write to resolve the truth behind the big picture, to make it clear that conflict is not about two teams meeting on the battlefield -- one called 'good' and one called 'bad', there are no winners in this story."
I recommend this to anyone who cares, anyone who has a thirst to know more than the news feeds dole out to us. It's a stunningly sad yet, ironically, hopeful story. The human need for freedom rings out. Read it. You owe it to yourself.
My genuine, heartfelt thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookoutture for making this book available. I shed tears, tears of sadness and hope.
I won't detail the stories as you need to meet them head on, with no expectations or screens to fully appreciate the despair and, yes, hope. As I type, the invasion of the Ukraine has entered its second month. We see the scenes on our tv screens, yes, but somehow even that and the starkly shattering scenes captured in pictures never quite lets us inside the heart, hopes, and dreams of the Ukrainian people. In this book, Ukrainian-American author Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger allows us to feel their hearts as she shares her stories of families past. While its it is historical fiction, it is based on stories told to the author by her own family members and the impact that history had on her.
This book was an eye opener. Until recently, I must admit, I had no real knowledge of Ukraine or its people Her foreward, written post invasion, details a brief history of the country, noting that her goal is "to hold up a mirror to our humanity so we can reflect on how we have gotten to where we find ourselves. I write stories to help readers and listeners connect to their ability for empathy. And I write to resolve the truth behind the big picture, to make it clear that conflict is not about two teams meeting on the battlefield -- one called 'good' and one called 'bad', there are no winners in this story."
I recommend this to anyone who cares, anyone who has a thirst to know more than the news feeds dole out to us. It's a stunningly sad yet, ironically, hopeful story. The human need for freedom rings out. Read it. You owe it to yourself.
My genuine, heartfelt thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookoutture for making this book available. I shed tears, tears of sadness and hope.
January 30, 2020
In Souvenirs from Kiev, the author writes in the forward:
“In the end, it is clear that on top of having the pieces, one must understand that it is not a puzzle; it is a kaleidoscope, and the craft of a storyteller is to provide the color and the patterns; the experience.”
In this collection of six short stories, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger has done just that. She’s provided a kaleidoscope that collages together the pieces of the past with the creation of fictional characters based on her many interviews with people and family from this time in history. With the artistry of her words she has taken me closer to the horrors of WWII than I’ve ever gotten before. This journey through the Ukraine she transports us to is through the hearts of the people. Though they are fictional characters, they have jumped off the page and come alive to me as I’ve stepped through the streets and villages of the Ukraine with them.
Although my heart breaks as I see the horrific events of WWII replay before my eyes, I still keep reading from tale to tale, entranced as I see the lives – the heart and character, the hopes and dreams - of the Ukrainian people in the tales.
I highly recommend Souvenirs from Kiev. In these six tales, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger proves that she is a master storyteller.
I received an advance copy of Souvenirs from Kiev in exchange for an honest review.
“In the end, it is clear that on top of having the pieces, one must understand that it is not a puzzle; it is a kaleidoscope, and the craft of a storyteller is to provide the color and the patterns; the experience.”
In this collection of six short stories, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger has done just that. She’s provided a kaleidoscope that collages together the pieces of the past with the creation of fictional characters based on her many interviews with people and family from this time in history. With the artistry of her words she has taken me closer to the horrors of WWII than I’ve ever gotten before. This journey through the Ukraine she transports us to is through the hearts of the people. Though they are fictional characters, they have jumped off the page and come alive to me as I’ve stepped through the streets and villages of the Ukraine with them.
Although my heart breaks as I see the horrific events of WWII replay before my eyes, I still keep reading from tale to tale, entranced as I see the lives – the heart and character, the hopes and dreams - of the Ukrainian people in the tales.
I highly recommend Souvenirs from Kiev. In these six tales, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger proves that she is a master storyteller.
I received an advance copy of Souvenirs from Kiev in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2022
This collection of five short stories of Ukrainians in World War II is incredibly timely, given the current invasion of Russia into Ukraine.
The book was re-released in March 2022 with a timely prologue by the first-gen Ukrainian-American author. She writes "As a first-gen American, I grew up defending myself and my heritage...," a statement shared by many immigrants. She states "I write to build empathy."
The stories are based on the author's own Ukrainian family and relatives during World War II. They are loosely connected, but could each stand alone. Together they paint a picture of the complexities of war and European geography. Russia is the enemy. Ukraine is part of Russia and Ukrainians fight in the Red army. Some Ukrainians fight in the German army against Russia.
All the while, the Ukrainian homeland beats strong in the hearts of her people. The reading level is middle school and above.
The book was re-released in March 2022 with a timely prologue by the first-gen Ukrainian-American author. She writes "As a first-gen American, I grew up defending myself and my heritage...," a statement shared by many immigrants. She states "I write to build empathy."
The stories are based on the author's own Ukrainian family and relatives during World War II. They are loosely connected, but could each stand alone. Together they paint a picture of the complexities of war and European geography. Russia is the enemy. Ukraine is part of Russia and Ukrainians fight in the Red army. Some Ukrainians fight in the German army against Russia.
All the while, the Ukrainian homeland beats strong in the hearts of her people. The reading level is middle school and above.
January 29, 2020
This is a moving and heart wrenching account of the people of the Ukraine during WWII when Hitler sent his army into their land. Six stories from different points of view. Each character is unique, interesting and complex. There is so much history and detailed descriptions that will move you and make your heart ache for the people and how they suffered. I wonder how they endured such horror and managed to survive. Be prepared to read this book nonstop as I did. I received an advanced reader's copy for my honest review. I am so honored that I got the opportunity to read and review this awesome book.
February 9, 2020
Being a grandaughter of Spanish and Japanese immigrants I am fully aware of the difficulties arisen from war. These are times when men show their ugliness defending a political belief and turning inocents´s lives in hell. As the author states that she used fiction to put the narrative together and everything told had really happened I found it amazing to end reading the book and being able to believe that still there is a future and a belief in mankind. Beautifully written ! Highly recommended!
May 3, 2022
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a first generation American born Ukrainian. Souvenirs From Kyiv was originally published in 2020, but with what is happening in the world right now, it was republished with a forward from the author. I definitely recommend you read the forward in this book, even if you read the previous publication.
Souvenirs From Kyiv is a collection of six short stories, based on interviews she had with people and family who lived through WWII. Using fictional characters based on family, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger takes us into the homes and lives of people who lived through the horrors of war. The Ukraine was like the rope in a tug of war between Russia and Germany. Thinking Germany was going to save them from Russia, they welcomed the Germans with open arms, only to be met with harsher treatment. As the war progressed and Russia regained parts of the country, they retaliated against those they felt were traitors. The stories shared, broke my heart, especially knowing they were based on real people and true events. She includes notes at the end to help the reader understand the circumstances her relatives faced as well as a brief history of each relative. I wish I had read this first as it made the characters real. As I have seen and heard watching the news, I also read about the strength, perseverance, loss, fear, suffering, hope, love, and kindness of the Ukrainian people which makes it even harder to see what they have suffered and are suffering once again. If you enjoy reading historical novels I recommend this book.
Souvenirs From Kyiv is a collection of six short stories, based on interviews she had with people and family who lived through WWII. Using fictional characters based on family, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger takes us into the homes and lives of people who lived through the horrors of war. The Ukraine was like the rope in a tug of war between Russia and Germany. Thinking Germany was going to save them from Russia, they welcomed the Germans with open arms, only to be met with harsher treatment. As the war progressed and Russia regained parts of the country, they retaliated against those they felt were traitors. The stories shared, broke my heart, especially knowing they were based on real people and true events. She includes notes at the end to help the reader understand the circumstances her relatives faced as well as a brief history of each relative. I wish I had read this first as it made the characters real. As I have seen and heard watching the news, I also read about the strength, perseverance, loss, fear, suffering, hope, love, and kindness of the Ukrainian people which makes it even harder to see what they have suffered and are suffering once again. If you enjoy reading historical novels I recommend this book.
April 22, 2022
Unfortunately or fortunately, this book comes along as there are difficulties once again in the region of Kyiv and the Ukraine. The author has taken and written several short stories from her families experience of being Ukrainian during WWII and after. Between Russia always wanting to claim the country and during WWII the Nazi Occupation, this is an area fought over for centuries.
Chrystyna Lucky-Berger is first generation here in the US but was able to gather accounts from her family and family friends to write these beautiful but heartbreaking short stories for us to see what has happened to that region of the world.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Chrystyna Lucky-Berger is first generation here in the US but was able to gather accounts from her family and family friends to write these beautiful but heartbreaking short stories for us to see what has happened to that region of the world.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.
April 22, 2022
I've read many of Chrystyna's books and I have to say she is always very accurate, very dedicated to giving all the details about a situation or a story and this is the case of Souvenirs from Kyiv, a series of stories that shed not just some light but a huge light in the Ukraine history, many of the things that I read in this book I've never read them before not even knew about them.
in most of the WW2 stories I've read, they always portray Ukraine as a very willing and helpful country to the Nazis and the Germans in general but I've never really known how much they struggled with the constant harassment of the Russians.
Souvenirs from Kyiv bring the stories of Chrystina's family into life letting us know the real story of what happened, and what is happening in Ukraine, a country that has been harassed for years and that is time for it to be finally free.
heartbreaking stories but very necessary to learn, to read, to see.
Thank you Chrystyna for writing your stories and letting us know more about your beautiful country and family it is an honor to read the stories of these heroines and heroes.
Thanks to NetGalley, and Bookouture for the advanced copy of Souvenirs from Kyiv in exchange for my honest review.
in most of the WW2 stories I've read, they always portray Ukraine as a very willing and helpful country to the Nazis and the Germans in general but I've never really known how much they struggled with the constant harassment of the Russians.
Souvenirs from Kyiv bring the stories of Chrystina's family into life letting us know the real story of what happened, and what is happening in Ukraine, a country that has been harassed for years and that is time for it to be finally free.
heartbreaking stories but very necessary to learn, to read, to see.
Thank you Chrystyna for writing your stories and letting us know more about your beautiful country and family it is an honor to read the stories of these heroines and heroes.
Thanks to NetGalley, and Bookouture for the advanced copy of Souvenirs from Kyiv in exchange for my honest review.
April 8, 2022
WOW! I'm usually not a fan of short stories but this author nailed it in this book. I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction books but nothing quite like this. It was very hard reading about the Ukrainians and everything that they went through in WWII; especially with everything happening today. It was almost like time is repeating itself and it is very emotional to read. The book begins in 1942 and is told over a few years through the eyes of six different characters/stories and everything that they had to endure through the war. This book is a little over 150 pages but I felt so connected to the characters and my heart ached for them. I don't want to say much more as it is such a short book but I highly recommend this book to everyone.
**Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy; all opinions are my own**
**Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy; all opinions are my own**
February 1, 2020
I received an ARC copy of this collection of short stories from Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger and publisher Inktreks. Thank you both for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger to friends and family. She writes a story with heart and soul in every chapter. Now I must read her Reschen Valley Series.
I had only a vague idea that the people of Ukraine were so affected by WWII so early on. This book brings to us that time, those choices or lack thereof, the uncompromising horror of it all on the families, ordinary people, with the battle lines still so far to the east. People who watched their life, their history for many generations wilt and burn before their eyes. People who thought the Germans would help them escape the oppression of the Russians already suffered for years.
Maybe the best part of this novel is the trailing chapters giving life to Lucyk-Berger's immersion in family memories and intense research of the subjects involved. These stories break your heart. The closing information makes you angry for those left out of the history books. And anxiety when you see the cycle of oppression repeating in this day and age. Until you read something like this you forget that the Russians and Poles and Germans battled so intensely even before the first shot fired in what we acknowledge as WWII. Our vision of that war is contained, for the most part, in the war that WE fought. Half the world battled for years before Americans became physically involved. These stories are a blueprint for what is happening again in Ukraine and beyond. We cannot with a good conscious look away again.
January 31, 2020
Publisher Inktreks
Reviewed on February 1, 2020, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
I had only a vague idea that the people of Ukraine were so affected by WWII so early on. This book brings to us that time, those choices or lack thereof, the uncompromising horror of it all on the families, ordinary people, with the battle lines still so far to the east. People who watched their life, their history for many generations wilt and burn before their eyes. People who thought the Germans would help them escape the oppression of the Russians already suffered for years.
Maybe the best part of this novel is the trailing chapters giving life to Lucyk-Berger's immersion in family memories and intense research of the subjects involved. These stories break your heart. The closing information makes you angry for those left out of the history books. And anxiety when you see the cycle of oppression repeating in this day and age. Until you read something like this you forget that the Russians and Poles and Germans battled so intensely even before the first shot fired in what we acknowledge as WWII. Our vision of that war is contained, for the most part, in the war that WE fought. Half the world battled for years before Americans became physically involved. These stories are a blueprint for what is happening again in Ukraine and beyond. We cannot with a good conscious look away again.
January 31, 2020
Publisher Inktreks
Reviewed on February 1, 2020, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub. Not available for review on Kobo or GooglePlay.
November 5, 2020
This is about a story and history of Ukraine before and after WWII,the story of the country,the story of people who got caught up in this struggle between Russia and Germany trying to control Ukraine. The people of this country suffered so much war,so much lost of life but believed in what they were fighting for,to be free of both these countries and still to this day fighting! You have characters that you meet who were part of this struggle just to be able to survive every day,the concentration camps,the ones who resisted and fought back. It's gets very complex and complicated if you don't pay attention to who belongs to who,but there is a guide that you can refer to that helps. The characters you will fall in love with,these people are real,it's this author's family going back to her great grandparents,you will fall in love with and cry over the wins and losses of the family! It's a very much great read with so much well researched history! The struggles are still going on today All they wanted was to be free to be a Democratic country that no one will let them be!! A very much read and emotion story so be prepared to experience the way they were All treated!!
January 31, 2020
I received ARC of this book for an honest review. There were very few grammatical errors a few extraneous words, a few incorrect pronouns. The writing itself was very good, evocative in my opinion. The collection of short stories covers various experiences of several Ukrainians during WWII. The collection has several common themes of fear, strife, family, surviving, love. Surprisingly, I didn't feel hate as a primary emotion from the characters --not to say it wasn't present just not in the forefront. The focus was definitely more on love, family and survival. Politics is also not the primary focus though present. The stories are linked but it takes a few before it is evident. The stories definitely tapped into my emotions. This a rare opportunity to experience various human aspects of a horrific world wide event. It has elements of spy stories, political thriller and love in many forms. Read it if you dare. It will remind you of what true bravery, courage and strength look like.
February 2, 2020
It is not easy to write about the war years. So much cruelty and so much randomness in the outcomes. But the author manages to create tales that are both truthful and poignant.
Possessing good material from her own family, the author manages to weave the six tales in a continuum that ends in much-needed hope. Each tale grips you and makes you feel the despair and the feeling of loss, of how everything can change in the blink of an eye. The tale of the little girl in the camp was certainly the most hurtful one but the last one following the flight of the Ukrainian family was for me the best.
I certainly hope the author continues bringing her family and her country's tales.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
Possessing good material from her own family, the author manages to weave the six tales in a continuum that ends in much-needed hope. Each tale grips you and makes you feel the despair and the feeling of loss, of how everything can change in the blink of an eye. The tale of the little girl in the camp was certainly the most hurtful one but the last one following the flight of the Ukrainian family was for me the best.
I certainly hope the author continues bringing her family and her country's tales.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.
March 1, 2020
Souvenirs from Kiev is a beautifully written collection of short stories about the Ukrainian people during WWII. Like many Eastern European countries, Ukraine was caught in the cross-fire between the Soviets and the Nazis, and the people suffered incredibly tragic fates due to the occupation of the barbaric Soviets followed by the ruthless Nazis. These stories ring familiar, as my own family is from Estonia, a country which was also occupied intermittently by the Soviets and the Nazis. And like Ukraine, Estonia remained occupied and brutally ravaged by the Soviets for nearly fifty years. These are sad stories that need to be told, and I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to read them.
June 4, 2020
Such a poignant set of short stories connected to each other! The author has thoroughly researched her own family memories and the background history. At times, it does not read like fiction.
Crystyna Lucyk-Berger delves deeply into the emotions of her fictional characters that represent members of her family.
I already knew a little about the history of the Ukraine. I learned whole a lot more from Crystyna’s book about the struggle of a people torn apart by two powers: The Soviet Union and Germany. Both counties wanted Ukraine for themselves and pitted Ukrainians against each other in a fratricidal fight.
The author’s beautiful prose makes this novel a keeper.
Crystyna Lucyk-Berger delves deeply into the emotions of her fictional characters that represent members of her family.
I already knew a little about the history of the Ukraine. I learned whole a lot more from Crystyna’s book about the struggle of a people torn apart by two powers: The Soviet Union and Germany. Both counties wanted Ukraine for themselves and pitted Ukrainians against each other in a fratricidal fight.
The author’s beautiful prose makes this novel a keeper.
February 1, 2020
Well described story seen thru the eyes of her family of the struggles of Ukrainian people and others in middle European countries before, during and post-WW2. Fascinating reading, well presented, wonderfully edited, and very readable. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book to read and provide my opinion. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity, and I'm certain that readers of this genre will NOT be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book to read and provide my opinion. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity, and I'm certain that readers of this genre will NOT be disappointed.
February 2, 2020
Generally I do not care for short stories, but Souvenirs from Kiev is an exception. The stories tell of life in Ukraine and the starvation and murder of the people. I thoroughly enjoyed this amazing book and if you like History and real life stories you will love this one.
May 29, 2022
I want to believe Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger’s stories in Souvenirs from Kyiv are more fiction than history, but I know that is not true. She has researched and conducted interviews with survivors of World War II and its aftermath. She has compiled their memories into composite stories that share brutal truths about war. Her goal is to “make it clear that conflict is not about two teams meeting on the battlefield—one called ‘good’ and one called ‘bad.’ There are no winners in this story.”
These tales are emotionally hard to read; I put aside the book several times to regroup. Because the author is Ukrainian-American, I expected the book would be slanted towards the Ukrainians. While they are certainly the focus, they are not depicted as guiltless. The barbarism of war is demonstrated in acts performed by Germany, Poland, the USSR, Ukraine, and the United Nations. “Sides” were not clear cut and people had to quickly change their nationalism based on necessity for survival.
In Ukraine’s War of Independence (1917-1921), a chant was popular:
Glory to Ukraine.
Glory to the heroes!
Death to the enemies.
It was revived in the 1940’s as a partisan group struggled to “ ‘purify’ Ukraine of Jews, of Poles, of Nazis, of Soviets.” The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) was founded after WW I. It fractured into two groups, each fiercely loyal to its leader. They expended energy which would have been better used in fighting their common enemy. That is an easy position to take from my safe twenty-first century armchair.
The author creates believable, fictional characters. Through them she makes real:
--the desperation of those in labor camps
--the hard work required just to survive each day
--the quick adjusting of priorities for those fleeing
the raw, animalistic violence that emerged during the fight for survival—whether to get a place in a bomb shelter or to grasp a stale piece of bread.
There are also shining lights:
--parents sacrificing for children
--the kindness of a German officer leading a refuge family to safety during a bombing
--everyday citizens risking their lives by sharing their homes and what little food had been left for them by ravaging soldiers.
These are all stories that need to be told, but the tale goes further. When the dust of battle settles, what happens to the survivors? To what country will they claim allegiance? Even those captured by an army and put in uniform or forced into slave labor, can be blacklisted as traitors in their home country. There is the unimaginable prospect of labor camps once more. If these threats are not realized, the survivors still have to overcome physical and mental hurdles of reintegrating into a society, perhaps not the one of their birth. During and after the war, Ukraine Diaspora occurred in the U.S. and in Europe.
Although this book is historical fiction, I learned a lot about the strife between Ukraine and its neighbors. Conflict is not new in that area. The author made history come alive with characters caught up in a war not of their making. It is important to read the forward. The first story slowly immersed me into the time period. Then the rest of the book sped by quickly. This author has written other books, and I am interested in reading them as well. Although Souvenirs from Kyiv is about Ukraine, its theme, the devastation of war, has worldwide applications.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
These tales are emotionally hard to read; I put aside the book several times to regroup. Because the author is Ukrainian-American, I expected the book would be slanted towards the Ukrainians. While they are certainly the focus, they are not depicted as guiltless. The barbarism of war is demonstrated in acts performed by Germany, Poland, the USSR, Ukraine, and the United Nations. “Sides” were not clear cut and people had to quickly change their nationalism based on necessity for survival.
In Ukraine’s War of Independence (1917-1921), a chant was popular:
Glory to Ukraine.
Glory to the heroes!
Death to the enemies.
It was revived in the 1940’s as a partisan group struggled to “ ‘purify’ Ukraine of Jews, of Poles, of Nazis, of Soviets.” The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) was founded after WW I. It fractured into two groups, each fiercely loyal to its leader. They expended energy which would have been better used in fighting their common enemy. That is an easy position to take from my safe twenty-first century armchair.
The author creates believable, fictional characters. Through them she makes real:
--the desperation of those in labor camps
--the hard work required just to survive each day
--the quick adjusting of priorities for those fleeing
the raw, animalistic violence that emerged during the fight for survival—whether to get a place in a bomb shelter or to grasp a stale piece of bread.
There are also shining lights:
--parents sacrificing for children
--the kindness of a German officer leading a refuge family to safety during a bombing
--everyday citizens risking their lives by sharing their homes and what little food had been left for them by ravaging soldiers.
These are all stories that need to be told, but the tale goes further. When the dust of battle settles, what happens to the survivors? To what country will they claim allegiance? Even those captured by an army and put in uniform or forced into slave labor, can be blacklisted as traitors in their home country. There is the unimaginable prospect of labor camps once more. If these threats are not realized, the survivors still have to overcome physical and mental hurdles of reintegrating into a society, perhaps not the one of their birth. During and after the war, Ukraine Diaspora occurred in the U.S. and in Europe.
Although this book is historical fiction, I learned a lot about the strife between Ukraine and its neighbors. Conflict is not new in that area. The author made history come alive with characters caught up in a war not of their making. It is important to read the forward. The first story slowly immersed me into the time period. Then the rest of the book sped by quickly. This author has written other books, and I am interested in reading them as well. Although Souvenirs from Kyiv is about Ukraine, its theme, the devastation of war, has worldwide applications.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2023
This is a collection of four short stories by Ukrainian-American author Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, based on the real-life experiences of her relatives during wartime in 1940s.
"Souvenirs from Kyiv"
: Set in Kyiv in 1942, during the German occupation of Ukraine, the story follows Larissa, a tailor who is asked by a German officer to create a traditional Ukrainian shirt as a souvenir. Larissa decides to resist the Nazi occupation by including hidden symbolism in the costume. ......
The will to resist that Larissa put into her costumes may be a little difficult for Japanese readers to understand. I had to look up metaphors such as wheat and poppy flowers on the Internet while reading the book to finally understand it.
It is a breathtaking story with a grim ending.
"The Partisans"
: Mykhailo, a soldier from Ukraine fighting for the Germans on the Eastern front, witnesses the harsh oppression of his people by the Nazis and finally decides to join the resistance. ......
This is a series of short stories in three parts that depict Mykhailo, his sister Marucia, and his brother Danylo, who choose the path of partisans. The story of Mykhailo and Danylo, who seem to be divided between the moderate and radical factions of the partisans, provides us a sad and interesting historical insight.
The story of two brothers and sisters who evade the Nazi's eye was read with the tension of a spy novel.
"From Before to After-After"
: Lida and her mother are forced to work in a concentration camp outside Berlin. Their father, a communist, seems to be in another camp, but his whereabouts are unknown. When the Soviet army invades, the Germans try to bury Lida and the other inmates alive to destroy evidence. ......
This short story is based on the real-life experiences of the author's great aunt-in-law. It is hard to believe that the dramatic experiences, including the near-burial and subsequent escape, actually happened.
"An Inventory of Mercies": Stepan, a Ukrainian painter, helps his wife and daughter escape from a concentration camp and flee to Munich. They live there as Polish refugees, but as news of Hitler's death spreads, they face the possibility of being forcibly repatriated to Ukraine, where they could face persecution under the communist regime. ......
The story of refugees in Eastern Europe in the immediate postwar period was told with great interest in Lindsay Jayne Ashford's novel "A Feather on the Water," which I read last year. An Inventory of Mercies" is a very good title, and the Germans' kindness in helping Stepan and his family shows a humanity that will never be lost.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent collection of short stories that reminded us once again that war is not something that can be resolved into a simple dichotomy of absolute good and absolute evil, but is multifaceted.
"Souvenirs from Kyiv"
: Set in Kyiv in 1942, during the German occupation of Ukraine, the story follows Larissa, a tailor who is asked by a German officer to create a traditional Ukrainian shirt as a souvenir. Larissa decides to resist the Nazi occupation by including hidden symbolism in the costume. ......
The will to resist that Larissa put into her costumes may be a little difficult for Japanese readers to understand. I had to look up metaphors such as wheat and poppy flowers on the Internet while reading the book to finally understand it.
It is a breathtaking story with a grim ending.
"The Partisans"
: Mykhailo, a soldier from Ukraine fighting for the Germans on the Eastern front, witnesses the harsh oppression of his people by the Nazis and finally decides to join the resistance. ......
This is a series of short stories in three parts that depict Mykhailo, his sister Marucia, and his brother Danylo, who choose the path of partisans. The story of Mykhailo and Danylo, who seem to be divided between the moderate and radical factions of the partisans, provides us a sad and interesting historical insight.
The story of two brothers and sisters who evade the Nazi's eye was read with the tension of a spy novel.
"From Before to After-After"
: Lida and her mother are forced to work in a concentration camp outside Berlin. Their father, a communist, seems to be in another camp, but his whereabouts are unknown. When the Soviet army invades, the Germans try to bury Lida and the other inmates alive to destroy evidence. ......
This short story is based on the real-life experiences of the author's great aunt-in-law. It is hard to believe that the dramatic experiences, including the near-burial and subsequent escape, actually happened.
"An Inventory of Mercies": Stepan, a Ukrainian painter, helps his wife and daughter escape from a concentration camp and flee to Munich. They live there as Polish refugees, but as news of Hitler's death spreads, they face the possibility of being forcibly repatriated to Ukraine, where they could face persecution under the communist regime. ......
The story of refugees in Eastern Europe in the immediate postwar period was told with great interest in Lindsay Jayne Ashford's novel "A Feather on the Water," which I read last year. An Inventory of Mercies" is a very good title, and the Germans' kindness in helping Stepan and his family shows a humanity that will never be lost.
Overall, I thought this was an excellent collection of short stories that reminded us once again that war is not something that can be resolved into a simple dichotomy of absolute good and absolute evil, but is multifaceted.
April 16, 2022
For the last two months the entire world has been watching the Ukrainians once again fight for their land, sovereignty, and culture again the Russians. Souvenirs from Kyiv are six stories, interconnected because they all deal with the same themes of today: invasion, resistance, endurance, and resolve for the Ukraine.
I like how the stories are based on the author’s own familial research. I’m glad she has the foresight to conduct significant interviews with family members over twenty years ago.
Readers need to take heed since what is happening now, could happen anywhere.
BAd things happen when good people do nothing. More good people need to step up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance read.
I like how the stories are based on the author’s own familial research. I’m glad she has the foresight to conduct significant interviews with family members over twenty years ago.
Readers need to take heed since what is happening now, could happen anywhere.
BAd things happen when good people do nothing. More good people need to step up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance read.
May 6, 2022
Souvenirs from Kyiv deftly chronicles the suffering of the Ukrainian people caught up in the tug of war between the Soviets and the Nazis during WWII. In six beautifully written short stories based on the experiences of her family, author Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, a first-generation American-born Ukrainian, recounts the horrors of a country fighting for its very existence. Underscoring the courage, strength, and perseverance of the Ukrainian people, Souvenirs from Kyiv is all the more poignant when read in the context of the current assault on Ukraine. It is a must read for the times.
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