Then They Came is a short story set in an occupied village north of Kyiv, from the perspective of Katya, a pensioner, wife and mother, and follows her story from the eve of war to the liberation of her home.
This story shows first hand what it is like for Ukraine's citizens. How can this be happening? How long will it go on? How will it end? The Ukrainian people have put up a great fight, but how can they persist against Moscow? Maybe Putin needs to know that there could be nukes aimed directly at the Kremlin. Maybe that would knock some sense into his distorted and sick brain.
Brutally honest look at war's effect on the civilian population of a small Ukrainian village. Not shockingly bloody - in fact, the viewpoint seems to deliberately look away from violence whenever possible.
Like most Russian literature, this story is dark in subject and almost hopeless in tone, yet through it all, the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people shine. All is not lost.
Vignette about one Russian-speaking Ukrainian family reveals decimation of tradition, lifestyle, and community cohesion within a matter of days. Neither the village people nor the young Russian invaders believed the occupation could obliterate life as they knew it. Weren’t they all brothers/ sisters across borders?
Jack has given us a view into the Hell on earth that has become Ukraine since Putin invaded the neighboring sovereign country. Can we even imagine what life there has been like for the past ten months? Donate if you can, and pray they can hold out long enough to force the Russians to leave.
This is a novella, so it is a short read. It also transcends genres. It follows Katya, an elderly Ukrainian woman in the final days of the Russian invasion. The story might be fiction, but the oppression is very real.
This book was so real. I never had a clue as to what was happening in this war zone. So many innocent people's lives and lifestyles destroyed. FOR WHAT. Such a tearful story.