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You Don't Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl From Ukraine
An important, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful memoir about the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war as told through the diary entries of a young Ukrainian girl.
Yeva Skalietska’s story begins on her twelfth birthday in Kharkiv, where she has been living with her grandmother since she was a baby. Ten days later, the only life she’d ever known was shattered. On February 24, 2022, her city was suddenly under attack as Russia launched its horrifying invasion of Ukraine. Yeva and her grandmother ran to a basement bunker, where she began writing this diary. She describes the bombings they endured while sheltering underground, and their desperate journey west to escape the conflict raging around them. After many endless train rides and a prolonged stay in an overcrowded refugee center in Western Ukraine, Yeva and her beloved grandmother eventually find refuge in Dublin. There, she bravely begins to forge a new life, hoping she’ll be able to return home one day.
Yeva Skalietska’s story begins on her twelfth birthday in Kharkiv, where she has been living with her grandmother since she was a baby. Ten days later, the only life she’d ever known was shattered. On February 24, 2022, her city was suddenly under attack as Russia launched its horrifying invasion of Ukraine. Yeva and her grandmother ran to a basement bunker, where she began writing this diary. She describes the bombings they endured while sheltering underground, and their desperate journey west to escape the conflict raging around them. After many endless train rides and a prolonged stay in an overcrowded refugee center in Western Ukraine, Yeva and her beloved grandmother eventually find refuge in Dublin. There, she bravely begins to forge a new life, hoping she’ll be able to return home one day.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2022
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January 9, 2024
"But the fewer people who know what war is, the better we’ll all be. The world would be a happier place, because there’s nothing worse than war."
These diary entries chronicle the very first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The book depicts the very first day of the full-scale war as it was seen and felt by a young Ukrainian girl living in Kharkiv (a big city in eastern Ukraine).
As the author points out, "In one terrible instant, life has turned upside down and taken a totally different direction."
She and her grandmother had to flee their apartment and find refuge at their friend's house. When there was shelling, they rushed to the basement, hiding there and waiting until it got quiet again. The situation was swiftly getting more terrifying.
After a few days of the war, they decided that they were going to leave Kharkiv for a safer place. Finally, the girl and her granny settled in Dublin. They met some kind people over there who helped them find a place to live in the new country.
Most of Yeva's friends, too, have to flee their homeland due to the war.
The stories of some of her friends are also included in this book. Their stories are moving and heartfelt.
Yeva shares a lesson that the war has taught her. She has learned to truly value her life, every minute of it.
She ends her story by saying: "We are all only children, and we deserve to live a life of peace and happiness!"
And I may add that all children and civilians have the right to live in peace and freedom. I know it may sound blatantly naive today, but I think no one should apologize for hoping for the best.
These diary entries chronicle the very first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The book depicts the very first day of the full-scale war as it was seen and felt by a young Ukrainian girl living in Kharkiv (a big city in eastern Ukraine).
As the author points out, "In one terrible instant, life has turned upside down and taken a totally different direction."
She and her grandmother had to flee their apartment and find refuge at their friend's house. When there was shelling, they rushed to the basement, hiding there and waiting until it got quiet again. The situation was swiftly getting more terrifying.
After a few days of the war, they decided that they were going to leave Kharkiv for a safer place. Finally, the girl and her granny settled in Dublin. They met some kind people over there who helped them find a place to live in the new country.
Most of Yeva's friends, too, have to flee their homeland due to the war.
The stories of some of her friends are also included in this book. Their stories are moving and heartfelt.
Yeva shares a lesson that the war has taught her. She has learned to truly value her life, every minute of it.
She ends her story by saying: "We are all only children, and we deserve to live a life of peace and happiness!"
And I may add that all children and civilians have the right to live in peace and freedom. I know it may sound blatantly naive today, but I think no one should apologize for hoping for the best.
December 24, 2022
As a Ukrainian, I was so happy to stumble upon this book. It seemed like finally there was a firsthand account, in English (!) that would tell a personal story of someone living through horrors of war. Unfortunately, I was deeply disappointed. You don’t know what war is? Well, neither does Yeva. Yeva’s account of the two weeks she spent in Kharkiv is not particularly informative or insightful - from day 1 Yeva’s main concern was figuring out how to leave and that’s what most of her daily updates are about, which is fair. For that reason I really liked each day’s top headlines preceding the diary entries, as they provide some much needed context to the story. For all those reviewers saying that Yeva’s just a child so you can’t expect depth from her writing, so was Anne Frank. Yet, Anne Frank’s diary is a beautifully written account, filled with emotion and nuance. In contrast, as a reader, I did not learn anything new, nor was I emotionally moved. If anything, Yeva’s story is a testimony to the kindness of the Irish people, the Channel 4 team and all those Europeans who opened their hearts and homes to Ukrainian refugees, and makes for a great campaign by UNHCR to raise more funds to support their relief efforts. As such, Yeva’s story and experience have a right to exist, but they should not be hailed as anything more than they are.
December 3, 2022
By Ukrainian, but not for Ukrainians
I don’t like that people here is writing that Eva is a new Anna Frank. Here is a huge difference: The Jews chose her because she represents their pain. Eve does not.
I have the impression that the girl who wrote this book just wanted attention, because growing up without parents is hard. So as soon as she gets to western Ukraine the whole book becomes purely «I talked to a journalist».
Most of all I did not like a lot of russian narratives. But when I saw who helped to publish the book, everything fell into place. I even shared quotes in the Instagram story and my russian friends wrote whether she understands what school her words can bring to Ukraine.
And I also have an answer for Eva why no one read the story about Shastya: because everyone tried to shout to the russians until we realized that they did not care. But for some reason in your book there are only notes about how bad Ukrainians are...
If you want to read something about russian-Ukrainian war, I highly recommend The Orphanage
by Serhiy Zhadan. Don’t waste your time.
I don’t like that people here is writing that Eva is a new Anna Frank. Here is a huge difference: The Jews chose her because she represents their pain. Eve does not.
I have the impression that the girl who wrote this book just wanted attention, because growing up without parents is hard. So as soon as she gets to western Ukraine the whole book becomes purely «I talked to a journalist».
Most of all I did not like a lot of russian narratives. But when I saw who helped to publish the book, everything fell into place. I even shared quotes in the Instagram story and my russian friends wrote whether she understands what school her words can bring to Ukraine.
And I also have an answer for Eva why no one read the story about Shastya: because everyone tried to shout to the russians until we realized that they did not care. But for some reason in your book there are only notes about how bad Ukrainians are...
If you want to read something about russian-Ukrainian war, I highly recommend The Orphanage
by Serhiy Zhadan. Don’t waste your time.
February 24, 2023
I had heard about this book and thought I might read it. Then I heard Yeva’s interview on NPR and was convinced. She was thoughtful, composed, and showed a maturity beyond her years.
At first I thought the title was a bit off-putting. But when I read Yeva’s short prologue:
“Everyone knows the word war. But very few people understand
what it truly means. You might say that it’s horrible and frightening,
but you don’t know the scale of fear it brings. And so, when you
suddenly have to face it, you feel totally lost, walled in by fright
and despair. All of your plans are suddenly interrupted by
destruction. Until you’ve been there, you don’t know what war is.”
The words of a twelve year old. This book is very moving and is taken from the account that Yeva wrote in her diary. Through her eyes you experience the utter fear and helplessness experienced by one of many young people who have been affected and displaced by the war in Ukraine.
This heartfelt, moving and unforgettable book is hard to put down-at least for me it was. It’s not very long, but it is well worth reading.
At first I thought the title was a bit off-putting. But when I read Yeva’s short prologue:
“Everyone knows the word war. But very few people understand
what it truly means. You might say that it’s horrible and frightening,
but you don’t know the scale of fear it brings. And so, when you
suddenly have to face it, you feel totally lost, walled in by fright
and despair. All of your plans are suddenly interrupted by
destruction. Until you’ve been there, you don’t know what war is.”
The words of a twelve year old. This book is very moving and is taken from the account that Yeva wrote in her diary. Through her eyes you experience the utter fear and helplessness experienced by one of many young people who have been affected and displaced by the war in Ukraine.
This heartfelt, moving and unforgettable book is hard to put down-at least for me it was. It’s not very long, but it is well worth reading.
August 15, 2025
Я прочитала цю книгу півроку тому і довго думала, як краще підійти до написання своєї думки щодо неї.
Ця книга - видання щоденнику 12-річної дівчинки з Харкова, яка описує в ньому свій досвід перших тижнів війни та евакуації закордон. Книга дуже популярна серед англомовної аудиторії. Зрозуміло, чому - якщо в нас щоденник Анни Франк почали вивчати в школі лише нещодавно, то в країнах Західного світу асоціації неминучі. Сам факт того, що це особистий щоденник дитини, ніби повинен нівелювати всю критику, та коли я читала його (взяла примірник в маленькій американській бібліотеці, аж настільки книга розповсюджена), то волосся в мене ставало дибки від кількості російських наративів на квадратну сторінку тексту.
Я не вважаю, що авторка в своєму віці ввела цю російську пропаганду в свій щоденник якось спеціально і не хочу, щоб мій розбір послугував приводом для особистої критики дитини. Єві перед повномасштабним вторгненням тільки-но виповнилося 12 років, вона живе з бабусею, її батьки працюють закордоном. Вона мріє стати письменницею (думаю, після такого гучного дебюту їй це точно вдасться). Перед нею зараз стоїть багато складних життєвих задач, як і перед усіма нашими біженцями, але найголовніша, мабуть, це критично осмислити все, чому її вчили до цього, які думки вкладали в її голову дорослі навколо, звідки такі думки прийшли до них, і чи є вони правдивими. Погодтеся, що ми всі, незалежно від віку, проходимо цей шлях зараз - хтось з 2014-го, хтось з 2022-го, - і це складний шлях, на якому треба багато чого переоцінити, змінити, стикнутися із розчаруванням в авторитетах, подивитися на свої погляди під іншим кутом. Я зичу Єві успіху на цьому шляху і хочу зазначити, що поряд з нею в процесі видання цієї книги завжди були дорослі - її бабуся, батьки (?), західні журналісти, редактори, видавці.
Всі ці дорослі люди багато разів перечитували (а може й редагували?) те, що видають, але жоден з них не проробив достатньо внутрішньої роботи, щоб побачити в цьому тексті російський слід. Можливо, хтось навіть приклався до того, щоб закцентувати наратив на певних думках, або ж дописати туди щось, що їм вважалося за потрібне, хто зна? Врешті-решт, щоденник (або, радше сказати, якась його частина - думаю, в особистому щоденнику все-таки було те, що не потрапило в книгу) був виданий саме в такому вигляді, і на ньому стоїть саме ім'я Єви, а не тих численних дорослих, що були навколо.
Тож я пропоную в цьому розборі сприймати цей щоденник як джерело дослідження тих небезпечних наративів, які нав'язуються нашим дітям та підліткам, і того, чому це робиться так успішно. Так як це невелика книга, я змогла прокоментувати кожну її главу. Глави та цитати з них будуть виділені курсивом.
Day 1 - The Beginning
We're hearing that other countries are now proposing sanctions while refusing to send more weapons. In some ways, that might be for the best...
Звісно, на краще - так росіяне зможуть швидше нас вбити! Йохуу! Насправді, нічого смішного - російська пропаганда проти надання Україні зброї від союзників потрапила не тільки в західну пресу, але й в голови маленьких українців, життя яких залежать від цієї зброї. Якщо це не відслідковувати, з них можуть вирости люди, які будуть все життя працювати на власне знищення в ім'я ефемерного пацифізму.
Day 2 - Fleeing for Safety
Then we learn that our Ukrainian tanks and APCs are stationed between apartment buildings. We're worried we'll end up being used as human shields.
Біля human shields є астериск і в примітках щодо цієї фрази... просто пояснюється тактика використання цивільних як живого щита. Прекрасна редакторська робота. А також вже на цьому етапі стає дуже цікаво, які новини (чи, радше, новини якої країни) читає Євина бабуся?..
While on the road, we see an army vehicle, but it's broken down. Then we see another one carrying Ukrainian fighters. "What on earth are they driving around here for?" I ask. "It's not for you to worry about," I'm told.
Правдива відповідь дитині була би: росіяне перейшли кордон нашої країни, щоб захопити Харків і вбити нас. Наші військові їдуть, щоб їх зупинити.
Але, як бачимо, в Євиному житті немає дорослих, які давали би правдиві відповіді. Тому висновків тут два: 1 - вся критика щодо змісту цієї книги повинна адресуватися не Єві; 2 - будь ласка, говоріть із дітьми, а не відмахуйтеся від них.
Day 3 - A Restless Evening
The shop had a fresh delivery of bread, but there isn't enough for everyone. She says everyone is buying vodka.
Яка ще водка? Ви бачили, щоб хтось скуповував водку в перші дні вторгнення? Це якийсь інший Харків, не той, де я жила.
I saw this post by Oleksii Potapenko on his Instagram stories. I'd call it a cri de coeur:
Why aren't any of the Ukrainian networks showing the sheer hell unfolding in Schastia (Luhansk Oblast) - the people there are living in ruins!
Ukrainian civilians must be evacuated urgently! Why isn't anyone saying anything? Why isn't anyone doing anything? How can you treat your own people this way? As many people as possible must be told about this so that everyone can start doing something! Helping with evacuation - anything!
Якщо ви не будете розмовляти з дітьми, з ними буде розмовляти Потап. Так, ми можемо скільки завгодно сміятися з "вже неактуальних" зірок та блогерів, але їхня авдиторія - переважно дитяча. І ось такі меседжі (популярний накрут початку вторгнення "Чому всі мовчать п��о <вставити місто>??"), безсенсовні, що не приводять до жодної дії чи корисного вихлопу, в'їдаються в дитячі голови, псують нерви, зневірюють, заплутують. Замість того, щоб давати раціональну та пере��ірену інформацію, ці горе-інфлюенсери (вже з-за кордону, до речі) підіймають собі перегляди істериками та накручують людей, що й без того знаходяться в стресі.
She says there's a Ukrainian tank stationed just outside a nearby kindergarten and that it keeps shooting at something.
Ну, мабуть не в щось там абстрактне він стріляв, той танк, правда? Мабуть, в російські танки чи гелікоптери, які підбиралися до садочка? Але знову в нас погані українські військові, які ведуть вогонь в місті - а те, що в це місто ВЖЕ зайшли окупанти, ми для західної авдиторії не будемо уточнювати. Браво редакторам.
Day 4 - Hell in My Old Neighborhood
A nearby building enterance was destroyed in a blast, and a man and a woman got hit in the back with debris. The ambulance took a long time (an hour) to get there, and kept refusing to take them, but did so in the end.
Тепер ще й на швидкій погані люди працюють. А їхали так довго, мабуть, не через обстріли, завали й кількість викликів, а через те, що стояли в черзі за водкою.
Day 5 - An Enexpected Start
Що я можу похвалити, так це те, що всі власні назви впродовж книжки подані в правильній транслітерації.
Day 6 - Our Apartment is Gone
There isn't much left of the apartment. Why doesn't anyone care? Why? Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?
Мабуть, добрі західні журналісти, які так рвалися видати цю книжку, просто плакали від щастя над цим уривком, бо це ж буквально збірна солянка з трьох їхніх улюблених наративів: 1- війна - це дуже погано, але хто в ній винен, це якось незрозуміло... ми не знаємо всієї правди; 2 - (українські) військові просто дуже люблять воювати, а треба спинитися! астанавітєсь!; 3 - війни повинні вестися в чистому полі, як в часи лицарства. Тут в мене і закралася думка, це Єва сама писала, чи їй допомогли? Нажаль, ми навряд чи про це дізнаємося - можливо, тільки коли Єва виросте і переосмислить те, що з нею відбулося під час евакуації та знайомства з цими прекрасними, підозріло уважними до неї дорослими.
Day 7 - We are Leaving Kharkiv
Вжито некоректний вираз Western Ukraine. Правильно казати і писати West of Ukraine.
Day 8 - Awful News
В цій главі присутній таксист з Донецька, мені сподобалася позитивна репрезентація регіону :)
Day 9 - A Meeting That Would Change Our Lives
Коли дівчинка роздумує, чи буде в них шанс приїхати і пожити в ЄС чи Великобританії, поки в Харкові йде війна, нотатки до тієї фрази чомусь кажуть:
Although Ukraine is geographically part of Europe, many countries that were formerly part of USSR don't consider themselves European, as there are still big cultural differences.
Я не зрозуміла, до чого тут цей коментар. Якщо існує поняття менсплейнінгу, то чи є окреме слово для вестернсплейнингу? Бо редактори кожен раз не туди завертають в цій книзі.
Day 10 - I Miss Kharkiv
The Ukrainian army asked some of our friends to leave the basement of their apartment buildings because it wasn't safe there. They were put on trucks. Where are they taking them? No one knows.
Від цієї фрази складається враження, що жахливі українські воїни відправили людей в якійсь концтабір! А насправді це називається примусова евакуація, і відвозили військові тих людей в найближче більш-менш безпечне місце.
Some of our friends and neighbors were taken to some street somewhere and just abandon there, literally in the middle of the road.
Евакуація - це не якась комплексна соціальна послуга, яку військові зобов'язані предоставляти людям. Вони вивезли з найбільш небезпечної зони тих, хто там все ще залишався, і поїхали назад, робити свою роботу (а саме, ризикувати власним життям заради того, щоб не прийшлося евакуювати цивільних з тієї вулиці кудись іще подалі, бо ворог просунеться глибше). А далі люди вже беруть своє життя у власні руки, шукають допомоги від соціальних служб та волонтерів, добираються до іншого місця проживання, тощо. Їх що, військові у Львів повинні були відвезти?..
Знову, тут питання до того, що дорослі повинні пояснювати дитині, як працює цей світ. Як бачимо, пояснюють погано.
Kharkiv is, or was, a lot prettier than Uzhhorod.
Вони з бабусею вже в Ужгороді, і відбувається типова реакція харків'янина на будь-що, що не є Харковом :) Мені за цим завжди мило спостерігати.
Day 11 - A Sunny Day
Пройшов день, а Єва вже закохується в Ужгород :))
Day 12 - Getting a New Passport Is Impossible
Проблема, що винесена в назву глави, і ще обговорення в главі підняття курсу валют, знову розкривають тему пояснення дітям світу. Єва все сприймає дуже гостро, наївно, по-дитячому, але, нажаль, її бабуся не здатна пояснити зрозумілою мовою, що таке логістика та економіка, і як війна на них впливає. Для дитини ці дорослі питання стають важливими, бо дорослі навколо про них хвилюються, проте вона не може адекватно їх зрозуміти, бо вони ще занадто складні, і їй ніхто в цьому не допомагає. В дитини підіймається загальна тривожність, а також рівень недовіри до держави.
Day 13 - Our New Life Awaits
No one speaks any English or Russian in Hungary.
Вони евакуюються до Угорщини і дивуються, що там ніхто не розмовляє... російською? А з чого б це угорці її знали? Наратив про общєпонятний backfired.
Day 14 - A Special Evening
Then, as we kept walking, we asked some other people, but they didn't even look our way. This is some kind of discrimination!
Можливо, бабуся питала мовою, яку ніхто там не знає, замість того, щоб перекласти, як це буде угорською?
I've never seen the American White House, but I'm confident that the Hungarian Parliament Building is a million times prettier.
Що в цій книзі гарно, так це Євина дитяча експресивність і природнє бажання бачити красиве перед собою. Без цього читати було би зовсім сумно.
Day 15 - Exploring Budapest
Забираю свої слова про правильну транслітерацію власних імен назад, тут вжито Odessa замість Odesa.
Day 16 - I'm Flying Away
We'd heard that the people of France aren't very welcoming towards immigrants, and we don't speak any French. So we decided to go to Ireland.
Я навіть не знаю, як коментувати це речення.
Зауважу лише, що бідних ірландців так добре загеноцидили та колонізували, що ніхто вже й не вважає за потрібне подумати про їхню мову, коли вирішує до них приїхати. Ми й самі майже опинилися в такому положенні, тому віват всім, хто зараз робить важливу внутрішню роботу по збереженню в собі українця.
Day 17 - War Welcomes
Ця ірландська глава змусила моє серце стискатися більше, ніж попередні глави про Харків. Тут Єва нарешті зустрічає дорослих, які нею цікавляться, і описано це настільки щемко... Вони в її очах завдяки проявленому до неї інтересу одразу стають хорошими людьми, вона аж гріється в променях їхньої уваги. Впродовж всієї книги я читаю про західних журналістів, які були до неї добрими, про волонтерів та людей із видавництва, які приділили їй так багато часу, як було приємно, як було цікаво з ними, і лише одна фраза - про маму й тата. Як все-таки дітям та підліткам потрібні дорослі! Якщо їм не приділяєте увагу ви, приділить хтось інший, а от з якими намірами - це вже друге питання.
Day 18 - The Irish Sea
Красива Ірландія розтоплює серце Єви.
Day 20 - News from Kharkiv
Then we walked up some stairs and entered a very long library. Two stories filled with books. I had no doubt you could find a few of Pushkin's poems there (that's whose name popped into my head when I tried to think of a writer, I don't know why).
Єво, я думаю, зараз, через декілька років після виходу книжки, а, можливо, ще через деякий час, ти зрозумієш, чому перша асоціація в тебе йде "письменник - Пушкін" (а також "поет - Єсенін", "балет - Чайковський","президент - Путін", тощо). Це не тому, що це справді великі митці, а тому, що тебе (і мене, і весь наш народ) зрусифікували.
Процес внутрішньої деколонізації ніколи не простий, але після нього завжди легше дихається. І тоді вже при вході в красиву закордонну бібліотеку задумуєшся із цікавістю, чи не знайдеш ти там Жадана?..
Day 21 - Svyatohirsk Destroyed
Болючий спогад і для мене теж.
Day 22 - My First St. Patrick's Day
Були на параді, в зоопарку, в замку Малахайд, все так весело і красиво! Єва йде до школи.
March 29 - The Lighthouse
For a few seconds today, I was transported to Sochi. It's where my great-grandmother lives - a seaside town in Russia. I saw some palm trees, and they seemed so odd here that I felt like there was a bit of Sochi here. I used to spend entire summers there, splashing around in the sea, but the war has divided Russia and Ukraine. It's so sad.
Ага, ось ми і знайшли причину бабусиної ватності і Євиних неосмислених ще морально-політичних метань. Багато хто з українців має родичів в Росії, хтось там народився, хтось виріс, це не новина. Але для росіян всі українці - хохли, яких треба вбити. Веселі дитячі спогади не врятують від геноциду, бо не війна роз'єднала росіян та українців, а багаторічна історія, яка почалася ще до нашого народження і сформувала два різних менталітета. Сумно тут не те, що "братські народи" "посварилися", а те, що українським дітям нав'язали цю брехню. В тому винні не лише бабусі, дідусі, батьки, тощо, - винне все наше суспільство, яке жило як попало, поки жилося, а очуняло, лише коли вже почали ракети на голову падати.
April 29 - My Cat Chupapelya Is Safe
For two months now, our apartment has been standing there, bombed from two sides, with its windows shattered and doors blasted off. The worst part is that the shelling continued even throughout the Ortodox Easter celebrations. They have no shame!
Бомлять з двох сторін - виходить, що свої ж. Але я вже заплуталася, хто там свій в світі Євиної родини. Жахливо, що такі меседжі передаються західному читачу, але зато зрозуміло, чому саме цей щоденник був взятий до друку і так активно розповсюджувався. Єва не дає вестернам нічого нового, цю російську пропаганду вони вже читали в своїх новинах і тепер із комфортом можуть підтвердити попередньо нав'язані їм думки за допомогою "свідчень очевидців".
В цілому, це всі мої виписані цитати - ��к бачите, я намагалася збалансувати спростування брехні з підкресленням позитивних аспектів книжки, але, нажаль, майже не було чого підкреслювати. Щоденник дуже короткий, глави займають 2-3 сторінки формату А6, при тому, що текст надрукований доволі крупним шрифтом. Дуже зручно для розповсюдження й "spreading awareness", а яка там якість того, що розповсюджується, це вже не суть важливо, правда, Bloomsbury?
І яка якість редактури теж. Мені дуже "сподобалися" нотатки, деякі з них я вже виносила раніше, вони відверто антиукраїнські, а деякі залишила наприкінець:
Beketov (1862-1941) - Russian Imperial and Soviet architect.
Навіть англомовна Вікіпедія знає, що Бекетов was a Ukrainian architect. Та що там, навіть російська (!) Вікіпедія називає його "украинским и советским". А це вже, знаєте, перемога. Але не для Bloomsbury, в них свої секретні документи.
Dacha - a Russian word for a weekend or second home.
Чому російське? Етимологічно "дача" походить від старослов'янського "дати" і абсолютно однакова в багатьох слов'янських мовах, в тому числі українській.
Після прочитання цієї книги виникає одне питання: якщо ви видаєте щоденник української дитини, чому ви так фокусуєтеся на тому, щоб все в ньому зробити максимально російським - і слова, і архітекторів, і пояснити все, що відбувається з російської точки зору, Bloomsbury?
Другого питання, про те, чому близькі дорослі люди Єви Скалецької не відслідкували таку хижацьку позицію видавництва й не скоригували роботу "журналістів" та "редакторів", щоб запобігти використанню своєї дитини в цілях пропаганди, після натяків книжки на погляди цих дорослих, якось вже й не виникає.
Жоден український журналіст, редактор, факт-чекер чи бета-рідер не був залучений до цього видання, хоча книга могла би багато виграти від фахової консультації щодо контексту описаних подій, достовірності наведених історичних фактів чи правильності використання певних виразів. Я впевнена, що люди, які працювали над цією книгою, мали великий вибір серед українських спеціалістів і могли би легко організувати таку співпрацю, проте свідомо вибрали не робити цього, бо переслідували власні інтереси. Нажаль для нас всіх, це були не інтереси України і навіть не інтереси Єви.
Ця книга - видання щоденнику 12-річної дівчинки з Харкова, яка описує в ньому свій досвід перших тижнів війни та евакуації закордон. Книга дуже популярна серед англомовної аудиторії. Зрозуміло, чому - якщо в нас щоденник Анни Франк почали вивчати в школі лише нещодавно, то в країнах Західного світу асоціації неминучі. Сам факт того, що це особистий щоденник дитини, ніби повинен нівелювати всю критику, та коли я читала його (взяла примірник в маленькій американській бібліотеці, аж настільки книга розповсюджена), то волосся в мене ставало дибки від кількості російських наративів на квадратну сторінку тексту.
Я не вважаю, що авторка в своєму віці ввела цю російську пропаганду в свій щоденник якось спеціально і не хочу, щоб мій розбір послугував приводом для особистої критики дитини. Єві перед повномасштабним вторгненням тільки-но виповнилося 12 років, вона живе з бабусею, її батьки працюють закордоном. Вона мріє стати письменницею (думаю, після такого гучного дебюту їй це точно вдасться). Перед нею зараз стоїть багато складних життєвих задач, як і перед усіма нашими біженцями, але найголовніша, мабуть, це критично осмислити все, чому її вчили до цього, які думки вкладали в її голову дорослі навколо, звідки такі думки прийшли до них, і чи є вони правдивими. Погодтеся, що ми всі, незалежно від віку, проходимо цей шлях зараз - хтось з 2014-го, хтось з 2022-го, - і це складний шлях, на якому треба багато чого переоцінити, змінити, стикнутися із розчаруванням в авторитетах, подивитися на свої погляди під іншим кутом. Я зичу Єві успіху на цьому шляху і хочу зазначити, що поряд з нею в процесі видання цієї книги завжди були дорослі - її бабуся, батьки (?), західні журналісти, редактори, видавці.
Всі ці дорослі люди багато разів перечитували (а може й редагували?) те, що видають, але жоден з них не проробив достатньо внутрішньої роботи, щоб побачити в цьому тексті російський слід. Можливо, хтось навіть приклався до того, щоб закцентувати наратив на певних думках, або ж дописати туди щось, що їм вважалося за потрібне, хто зна? Врешті-решт, щоденник (або, радше сказати, якась його частина - думаю, в особистому щоденнику все-таки було те, що не потрапило в книгу) був виданий саме в такому вигляді, і на ньому стоїть саме ім'я Єви, а не тих численних дорослих, що були навколо.
Тож я пропоную в цьому розборі сприймати цей щоденник як джерело дослідження тих небезпечних наративів, які нав'язуються нашим дітям та підліткам, і того, чому це робиться так успішно. Так як це невелика книга, я змогла прокоментувати кожну її главу. Глави та цитати з них будуть виділені курсивом.
Day 1 - The Beginning
We're hearing that other countries are now proposing sanctions while refusing to send more weapons. In some ways, that might be for the best...
Day 2 - Fleeing for Safety
Then we learn that our Ukrainian tanks and APCs are stationed between apartment buildings. We're worried we'll end up being used as human shields.
Біля human shields є астериск і в примітках щодо цієї фрази... просто пояснюється тактика використання цивільних як живого щита. Прекрасна редакторська робота. А також вже на цьому етапі стає дуже цікаво, які новини (чи, радше, новини якої країни) читає Євина бабуся?..
While on the road, we see an army vehicle, but it's broken down. Then we see another one carrying Ukrainian fighters. "What on earth are they driving around here for?" I ask. "It's not for you to worry about," I'm told.
Правдива відповідь дитині була би: росіяне перейшли кордон нашої країни, щоб захопити Харків і вбити нас. Наші військові їдуть, щоб їх зупинити.
Але, як бачимо, в Євиному житті немає дорослих, які давали би правдиві відповіді. Тому висновків тут два: 1 - вся критика щодо змісту цієї книги повинна адресуватися не Єві; 2 - будь ласка, говоріть із дітьми, а не відмахуйтеся від них.
Day 3 - A Restless Evening
The shop had a fresh delivery of bread, but there isn't enough for everyone. She says everyone is buying vodka.
Яка ще водка? Ви бачили, щоб хтось скуповував водку в перші дні вторгнення? Це якийсь інший Харків, не той, де я жила.
I saw this post by Oleksii Potapenko on his Instagram stories. I'd call it a cri de coeur:
Why aren't any of the Ukrainian networks showing the sheer hell unfolding in Schastia (Luhansk Oblast) - the people there are living in ruins!
Ukrainian civilians must be evacuated urgently! Why isn't anyone saying anything? Why isn't anyone doing anything? How can you treat your own people this way? As many people as possible must be told about this so that everyone can start doing something! Helping with evacuation - anything!
Якщо ви не будете розмовляти з дітьми, з ними буде розмовляти Потап. Так, ми можемо скільки завгодно сміятися з "вже неактуальних" зірок та блогерів, але їхня авдиторія - переважно дитяча. І ось такі меседжі (популярний накрут початку вторгнення "Чому всі мовчать п��о <вставити місто>??"), безсенсовні, що не приводять до жодної дії чи корисного вихлопу, в'їдаються в дитячі голови, псують нерви, зневірюють, заплутують. Замість того, щоб давати раціональну та пере��ірену інформацію, ці горе-інфлюенсери (вже з-за кордону, до речі) підіймають собі перегляди істериками та накручують людей, що й без того знаходяться в стресі.
She says there's a Ukrainian tank stationed just outside a nearby kindergarten and that it keeps shooting at something.
Ну, мабуть не в щось там абстрактне він стріляв, той танк, правда? Мабуть, в російські танки чи гелікоптери, які підбиралися до садочка? Але знову в нас погані українські військові, які ведуть вогонь в місті - а те, що в це місто ВЖЕ зайшли окупанти, ми для західної авдиторії не будемо уточнювати. Браво редакторам.
Day 4 - Hell in My Old Neighborhood
A nearby building enterance was destroyed in a blast, and a man and a woman got hit in the back with debris. The ambulance took a long time (an hour) to get there, and kept refusing to take them, but did so in the end.
Тепер ще й на швидкій погані люди працюють. А їхали так довго, мабуть, не через обстріли, завали й кількість викликів, а через те, що стояли в черзі за водкою.
Day 5 - An Enexpected Start
Що я можу похвалити, так це те, що всі власні назви впродовж книжки подані в правильній транслітерації.
Day 6 - Our Apartment is Gone
There isn't much left of the apartment. Why doesn't anyone care? Why? Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?
Мабуть, добрі західні журналісти, які так рвалися видати цю книжку, просто плакали від щастя над цим уривком, бо це ж буквально збірна солянка з трьох їхніх улюблених наративів: 1- війна - це дуже погано, але хто в ній винен, це якось незрозуміло... ми не знаємо всієї правди; 2 - (українські) військові просто дуже люблять воювати, а треба спинитися! астанавітєсь!; 3 - війни повинні вестися в чистому полі, як в часи лицарства. Тут в мене і закралася думка, це Єва сама писала, чи їй допомогли? Нажаль, ми навряд чи про це дізнаємося - можливо, тільки коли Єва виросте і переосмислить те, що з нею відбулося під час евакуації та знайомства з цими прекрасними, підозріло уважними до неї дорослими.
Day 7 - We are Leaving Kharkiv
Вжито некоректний вираз Western Ukraine. Правильно казати і писати West of Ukraine.
Day 8 - Awful News
В цій главі присутній таксист з Донецька, мені сподобалася позитивна репрезентація регіону :)
Day 9 - A Meeting That Would Change Our Lives
Коли дівчинка роздумує, чи буде в них шанс приїхати і пожити в ЄС чи Великобританії, поки в Харкові йде війна, нотатки до тієї фрази чомусь кажуть:
Although Ukraine is geographically part of Europe, many countries that were formerly part of USSR don't consider themselves European, as there are still big cultural differences.
Я не зрозуміла, до чого тут цей коментар. Якщо існує поняття менсплейнінгу, то чи є окреме слово для вестернсплейнингу? Бо редактори кожен раз не туди завертають в цій книзі.
Day 10 - I Miss Kharkiv
The Ukrainian army asked some of our friends to leave the basement of their apartment buildings because it wasn't safe there. They were put on trucks. Where are they taking them? No one knows.
Від цієї фрази складається враження, що жахливі українські воїни відправили людей в якійсь концтабір! А насправді це називається примусова евакуація, і відвозили військові тих людей в найближче більш-менш безпечне місце.
Some of our friends and neighbors were taken to some street somewhere and just abandon there, literally in the middle of the road.
Евакуація - це не якась комплексна соціальна послуга, яку військові зобов'язані предоставляти людям. Вони вивезли з найбільш небезпечної зони тих, хто там все ще залишався, і поїхали назад, робити свою роботу (а саме, ризикувати власним життям заради того, щоб не прийшлося евакуювати цивільних з тієї вулиці кудись іще подалі, бо ворог просунеться глибше). А далі люди вже беруть своє життя у власні руки, шукають допомоги від соціальних служб та волонтерів, добираються до іншого місця проживання, тощо. Їх що, військові у Львів повинні були відвезти?..
Знову, тут питання до того, що дорослі повинні пояснювати дитині, як працює цей світ. Як бачимо, пояснюють погано.
Kharkiv is, or was, a lot prettier than Uzhhorod.
Вони з бабусею вже в Ужгороді, і відбувається типова реакція харків'янина на будь-що, що не є Харковом :) Мені за цим завжди мило спостерігати.
Day 11 - A Sunny Day
Пройшов день, а Єва вже закохується в Ужгород :))
Day 12 - Getting a New Passport Is Impossible
Проблема, що винесена в назву глави, і ще обговорення в главі підняття курсу валют, знову розкривають тему пояснення дітям світу. Єва все сприймає дуже гостро, наївно, по-дитячому, але, нажаль, її бабуся не здатна пояснити зрозумілою мовою, що таке логістика та економіка, і як війна на них впливає. Для дитини ці дорослі питання стають важливими, бо дорослі навколо про них хвилюються, проте вона не може адекватно їх зрозуміти, бо вони ще занадто складні, і їй ніхто в цьому не допомагає. В дитини підіймається загальна тривожність, а також рівень недовіри до держави.
Day 13 - Our New Life Awaits
No one speaks any English or Russian in Hungary.
Вони евакуюються до Угорщини і дивуються, що там ніхто не розмовляє... російською? А з чого б це угорці її знали? Наратив про общєпонятний backfired.
Day 14 - A Special Evening
Then, as we kept walking, we asked some other people, but they didn't even look our way. This is some kind of discrimination!
Можливо, бабуся питала мовою, яку ніхто там не знає, замість того, щоб перекласти, як це буде угорською?
I've never seen the American White House, but I'm confident that the Hungarian Parliament Building is a million times prettier.
Що в цій книзі гарно, так це Євина дитяча експресивність і природнє бажання бачити красиве перед собою. Без цього читати було би зовсім сумно.
Day 15 - Exploring Budapest
Забираю свої слова про правильну транслітерацію власних імен назад, тут вжито Odessa замість Odesa.
Day 16 - I'm Flying Away
We'd heard that the people of France aren't very welcoming towards immigrants, and we don't speak any French. So we decided to go to Ireland.
Я навіть не знаю, як коментувати це речення.
Зауважу лише, що бідних ірландців так добре загеноцидили та колонізували, що ніхто вже й не вважає за потрібне подумати про їхню мову, коли вирішує до них приїхати. Ми й самі майже опинилися в такому положенні, тому віват всім, хто зараз робить важливу внутрішню роботу по збереженню в собі українця.
Day 17 - War Welcomes
Ця ірландська глава змусила моє серце стискатися більше, ніж попередні глави про Харків. Тут Єва нарешті зустрічає дорослих, які нею цікавляться, і описано це настільки щемко... Вони в її очах завдяки проявленому до неї інтересу одразу стають хорошими людьми, вона аж гріється в променях їхньої уваги. Впродовж всієї книги я читаю про західних журналістів, які були до неї добрими, про волонтерів та людей із видавництва, які приділили їй так багато часу, як було приємно, як було цікаво з ними, і лише одна фраза - про маму й тата. Як все-таки дітям та підліткам потрібні дорослі! Якщо їм не приділяєте увагу ви, приділить хтось інший, а от з якими намірами - це вже друге питання.
Day 18 - The Irish Sea
Красива Ірландія розтоплює серце Єви.
Day 20 - News from Kharkiv
Then we walked up some stairs and entered a very long library. Two stories filled with books. I had no doubt you could find a few of Pushkin's poems there (that's whose name popped into my head when I tried to think of a writer, I don't know why).
Єво, я думаю, зараз, через декілька років після виходу книжки, а, можливо, ще через деякий час, ти зрозумієш, чому перша асоціація в тебе йде "письменник - Пушкін" (а також "поет - Єсенін", "балет - Чайковський",
Процес внутрішньої деколонізації ніколи не простий, але після нього завжди легше дихається. І тоді вже при вході в красиву закордонну бібліотеку задумуєшся із цікавістю, чи не знайдеш ти там Жадана?..
Day 21 - Svyatohirsk Destroyed
Болючий спогад і для мене теж.
Day 22 - My First St. Patrick's Day
Були на параді, в зоопарку, в замку Малахайд, все так весело і красиво! Єва йде до школи.
March 29 - The Lighthouse
For a few seconds today, I was transported to Sochi. It's where my great-grandmother lives - a seaside town in Russia. I saw some palm trees, and they seemed so odd here that I felt like there was a bit of Sochi here. I used to spend entire summers there, splashing around in the sea, but the war has divided Russia and Ukraine. It's so sad.
April 29 - My Cat Chupapelya Is Safe
For two months now, our apartment has been standing there, bombed from two sides, with its windows shattered and doors blasted off. The worst part is that the shelling continued even throughout the Ortodox Easter celebrations. They have no shame!
Бомлять з двох сторін - виходить, що свої ж. Але я вже заплуталася, хто там свій в світі Євиної родини. Жахливо, що такі меседжі передаються західному читачу, але зато зрозуміло, чому саме цей щоденник був взятий до друку і так активно розповсюджувався. Єва не дає вестернам нічого нового, цю російську пропаганду вони вже читали в своїх новинах і тепер із комфортом можуть підтвердити попередньо нав'язані їм думки за допомогою "свідчень очевидців".
В цілому, це всі мої виписані цитати - ��к бачите, я намагалася збалансувати спростування брехні з підкресленням позитивних аспектів книжки, але, нажаль, майже не було чого підкреслювати. Щоденник дуже короткий, глави займають 2-3 сторінки формату А6, при тому, що текст надрукований доволі крупним шрифтом. Дуже зручно для розповсюдження й "spreading awareness", а яка там якість того, що розповсюджується, це вже не суть важливо, правда, Bloomsbury?
І яка якість редактури теж. Мені дуже "сподобалися" нотатки, деякі з них я вже виносила раніше, вони відверто антиукраїнські, а деякі залишила наприкінець:
Beketov (1862-1941) - Russian Imperial and Soviet architect.
Навіть англомовна Вікіпедія знає, що Бекетов was a Ukrainian architect. Та що там, навіть російська (!) Вікіпедія називає його "украинским и советским". А це вже, знаєте, перемога. Але не для Bloomsbury, в них свої секретні документи.
Dacha - a Russian word for a weekend or second home.
Чому російське? Етимологічно "дача" походить від старослов'янського "дати" і абсолютно однакова в багатьох слов'янських мовах, в тому числі українській.
Після прочитання цієї книги виникає одне питання: якщо ви видаєте щоденник української дитини, чому ви так фокусуєтеся на тому, щоб все в ньому зробити максимально російським - і слова, і архітекторів, і пояснити все, що відбувається з російської точки зору, Bloomsbury?
Другого питання, про те, чому близькі дорослі люди Єви Скалецької не відслідкували таку хижацьку позицію видавництва й не скоригували роботу "журналістів" та "редакторів", щоб запобігти використанню своєї дитини в цілях пропаганди, після натяків книжки на погляди цих дорослих, якось вже й не виникає.
Жоден український журналіст, редактор, факт-чекер чи бета-рідер не був залучений до цього видання, хоча книга могла би багато виграти від фахової консультації щодо контексту описаних подій, достовірності наведених історичних фактів чи правильності використання певних виразів. Я впевнена, що люди, які працювали над цією книгою, мали великий вибір серед українських спеціалістів і могли би легко організувати таку співпрацю, проте свідомо вибрали не робити цього, бо переслідували власні інтереси. Нажаль для нас всіх, це були не інтереси України і навіть не інтереси Єви.
August 17, 2022
Reading any situation from the eyes of a child can be eye-opening, and harrowing, and the view of war, is one of the toughest to read.
Yeva's recount of those first few days of the Russia/Ukraine war was touching and heartbreaking. This is exactly like a modern-day Anne Frank story, filled with pictures and diary entries, as well as transcripts of WhatsApp group messages between Yeva and her classmates.
Something the youth of today should maybe read, too, so they realise what war in the now is really about.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yeva's recount of those first few days of the Russia/Ukraine war was touching and heartbreaking. This is exactly like a modern-day Anne Frank story, filled with pictures and diary entries, as well as transcripts of WhatsApp group messages between Yeva and her classmates.
Something the youth of today should maybe read, too, so they realise what war in the now is really about.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 20, 2024
4/20/2024
EDIT: I'm linking a list to a more extensive and in-depth list of books that are way more accurate and objective regarding the Russia/Ukraine conflict, not just the war. This list should provide a far wider reach for those wondering what else to read instead of Skalietska's diary.
***
This gets two stars, mostly because the marketing surrounding this book is basically a tidal wave of falsehood and moneygrubbing. The problems are more than just "it wasn't written well," because this girl is twelve. Of course it won't be written well. Instead of going for the easy (and incorrect) kill, let's observe some of the issues from a reasonable, non-reactionary standpoint like adults.
The Marketing
This book is not meant for adult readers. The publishers pushed it like we were about to experience this shocking and horrific tragedy, like Eva's entire family gets blown up right in front of her and the reporters who snag her story pulled her out of a pile of rubble where she ends up losing a leg. No, no, dear friend, it is not so.
I'm sad I even have to clarify this, but I'm glad that's not how Eva's story went. She was in Kharkiv for less than two weeks, then her grandmother was able to use her economic position and money to get out of the city, toward the Hungarian border.
"BuT MoNeY hAS nOtHInG tO Do wItH IT."
Yes, it does, and if you're convinced otherwise, you're deluding yourself. Whether you're in Madagascar, Nunavut, Indonesia, or the United States, money makes the difference in your ability to go places or escape hardship. A perfect example of this is the dacha Eva describes her family owning. Dachas are weekend and summer homes in the countryside away from cities where a lot of Ukrainians gather to enjoy the clean air and surrounding nature. They're quite common but there are a few telling differences. Size, for instance. Eva talks about her family's dacha being "big," which is saying something considering most dachas are what we in the States would call cabins, where indoor plumbing for either structure is rare.
So what about the poor folks who couldn't get out? What about the people who stayed because they had no other choice? What of the stories from shelled neighborhoods and people who barely survived being crushed or shot? I want those stories, not a travelogue from days barely spent in Ukraine.
For the publishers to call this a "memoir" and then go on to say it talks about the devastation of war is basically bullshit. The writing—again, I KNOW she's twelve—would be better received by children and the middle grade audience. Some reviewers have mentioned this being hailed by some dope as the next Anne Frank, but come on, folks. These reviewers know as well as I do that that's absolute bunk.
The War
Since Eva escapes so quickly, I'd hardly call this a war story. It's hardly even a refugee story, and by the time they get to Ireland, they're quickly settled into a house that they can rent. The diary mostly entails Eva's friendship with the Channel 4 reporters and how they latched onto her story and agreed to help her and her grandma to safety. The whole thing from an adult's perspective felt kind of exploitative on the reporters' side, even if that's not why they helped her.
When I majored in Journalism, one of the biggest portions of our ethics discussion centered on involvement. In the middle of a story that could deal in life or death situations, what is a journalist's job? Are we obliged to stand in the way of harm to protect someone, or is it our duty to report and stay out of the way? We don't see war correspondents picking up rifles or grenades. Stories about the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis rarely—but sometimes—call on the journalist to administer Narcan. And in that case, we come to another crucial axis for ethics: moral duty.
In VICE News' video "What Actually Happens When You Overdose on Heroin," we see a journalist named Allie Severino—recovering addict herself—approached by a harried and desperate man whose friend has just OD'd by some train tracks. She rushes to help, even following the 911 operator's instruction on CPR and rescue breathing. Her moral obligation as a human being familiar with the price of addiction presses her to try and save this man's life.
The reporters of Channel 4 had no such obligation. Eva and her grandmother were in a refugee center when the reporters found them, out of immediate danger and harm's way. They didn't pull Eva out from under a collapsed roof. They didn't splint her grandmother's broken limbs and rush her to a hospital or first-aid center. I can't pretend to know the exact thoughts of these people, but it struck me as odd that they would agree to help this girl after her grandmother told them she was writing a book. Feels very...opportunistic. Had their intentions been purely altruistic, they could have connected her with people who could help and then gone on their merry way reporting on this devastating war and the Russian aggressors' genocide of the Ukrainian people. Instead they became Eva's personal tour guides in Hungary and onward. And that didn't sit right with the trained journalist in me.
Russian Influence
I had fleeting questions as I read this book and only realized that I wasn't the only one weirded out until I got onto Goodreads and looked at some other reviews. There are a few spots in the book that don't read right.
• Eva says she and her classmates hunkered down in various basements were worried about being used as "human shields" by Ukrainian soldiers. Which, I'm sure any logical and sane person can imagine, was inherently disgusting misinformation being spewed by Putin about Ukraine, not the other way around. Oh, look, a reputable source talking about how Russia pointed the finger at Ukraine while its own soldiers used literal herds of children to shield their tanks and troops from Ukrainian fire.
• Eva also talks about how there are tanks outside of a kindergarten, which was also proven to be Russian propaganda. As this article clearly demonstrates with many of its own cited sources.
• When Eva tours Trinity College in Dublin, she immediately looks for a volume of poetry by Pushkin, a Russian author. But...if I, an American, went to Trinity College on a tour, the first volume of poetry I'd look for wouldn't be T. S. Eliot or John Donne. I'd be up in Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes and May Sarton. One would figure that naturally she would want to look for something more homey and familiar and show pride for her Ukrainian heritage. So wouldn't she have wanted to find Taras Shevchenko? Marianna Kiyanovska? Or the multi-literary-award-winning Yulia Musakovska?
I can't rightly tell you not to read something, but I would be remiss to let this one go unreviewed when there's just so much weird about the rushed publication. Definitely not one to read for information regarding the war in Ukraine.
EDIT: I'm linking a list to a more extensive and in-depth list of books that are way more accurate and objective regarding the Russia/Ukraine conflict, not just the war. This list should provide a far wider reach for those wondering what else to read instead of Skalietska's diary.
***
This gets two stars, mostly because the marketing surrounding this book is basically a tidal wave of falsehood and moneygrubbing. The problems are more than just "it wasn't written well," because this girl is twelve. Of course it won't be written well. Instead of going for the easy (and incorrect) kill, let's observe some of the issues from a reasonable, non-reactionary standpoint like adults.
The Marketing
This book is not meant for adult readers. The publishers pushed it like we were about to experience this shocking and horrific tragedy, like Eva's entire family gets blown up right in front of her and the reporters who snag her story pulled her out of a pile of rubble where she ends up losing a leg. No, no, dear friend, it is not so.
I'm sad I even have to clarify this, but I'm glad that's not how Eva's story went. She was in Kharkiv for less than two weeks, then her grandmother was able to use her economic position and money to get out of the city, toward the Hungarian border.
"BuT MoNeY hAS nOtHInG tO Do wItH IT."
Yes, it does, and if you're convinced otherwise, you're deluding yourself. Whether you're in Madagascar, Nunavut, Indonesia, or the United States, money makes the difference in your ability to go places or escape hardship. A perfect example of this is the dacha Eva describes her family owning. Dachas are weekend and summer homes in the countryside away from cities where a lot of Ukrainians gather to enjoy the clean air and surrounding nature. They're quite common but there are a few telling differences. Size, for instance. Eva talks about her family's dacha being "big," which is saying something considering most dachas are what we in the States would call cabins, where indoor plumbing for either structure is rare.
So what about the poor folks who couldn't get out? What about the people who stayed because they had no other choice? What of the stories from shelled neighborhoods and people who barely survived being crushed or shot? I want those stories, not a travelogue from days barely spent in Ukraine.
For the publishers to call this a "memoir" and then go on to say it talks about the devastation of war is basically bullshit. The writing—again, I KNOW she's twelve—would be better received by children and the middle grade audience. Some reviewers have mentioned this being hailed by some dope as the next Anne Frank, but come on, folks. These reviewers know as well as I do that that's absolute bunk.
The War
Since Eva escapes so quickly, I'd hardly call this a war story. It's hardly even a refugee story, and by the time they get to Ireland, they're quickly settled into a house that they can rent. The diary mostly entails Eva's friendship with the Channel 4 reporters and how they latched onto her story and agreed to help her and her grandma to safety. The whole thing from an adult's perspective felt kind of exploitative on the reporters' side, even if that's not why they helped her.
When I majored in Journalism, one of the biggest portions of our ethics discussion centered on involvement. In the middle of a story that could deal in life or death situations, what is a journalist's job? Are we obliged to stand in the way of harm to protect someone, or is it our duty to report and stay out of the way? We don't see war correspondents picking up rifles or grenades. Stories about the opioid epidemic and fentanyl crisis rarely—but sometimes—call on the journalist to administer Narcan. And in that case, we come to another crucial axis for ethics: moral duty.
In VICE News' video "What Actually Happens When You Overdose on Heroin," we see a journalist named Allie Severino—recovering addict herself—approached by a harried and desperate man whose friend has just OD'd by some train tracks. She rushes to help, even following the 911 operator's instruction on CPR and rescue breathing. Her moral obligation as a human being familiar with the price of addiction presses her to try and save this man's life.
The reporters of Channel 4 had no such obligation. Eva and her grandmother were in a refugee center when the reporters found them, out of immediate danger and harm's way. They didn't pull Eva out from under a collapsed roof. They didn't splint her grandmother's broken limbs and rush her to a hospital or first-aid center. I can't pretend to know the exact thoughts of these people, but it struck me as odd that they would agree to help this girl after her grandmother told them she was writing a book. Feels very...opportunistic. Had their intentions been purely altruistic, they could have connected her with people who could help and then gone on their merry way reporting on this devastating war and the Russian aggressors' genocide of the Ukrainian people. Instead they became Eva's personal tour guides in Hungary and onward. And that didn't sit right with the trained journalist in me.
Russian Influence
I had fleeting questions as I read this book and only realized that I wasn't the only one weirded out until I got onto Goodreads and looked at some other reviews. There are a few spots in the book that don't read right.
• Eva says she and her classmates hunkered down in various basements were worried about being used as "human shields" by Ukrainian soldiers. Which, I'm sure any logical and sane person can imagine, was inherently disgusting misinformation being spewed by Putin about Ukraine, not the other way around. Oh, look, a reputable source talking about how Russia pointed the finger at Ukraine while its own soldiers used literal herds of children to shield their tanks and troops from Ukrainian fire.
• Eva also talks about how there are tanks outside of a kindergarten, which was also proven to be Russian propaganda. As this article clearly demonstrates with many of its own cited sources.
• When Eva tours Trinity College in Dublin, she immediately looks for a volume of poetry by Pushkin, a Russian author. But...if I, an American, went to Trinity College on a tour, the first volume of poetry I'd look for wouldn't be T. S. Eliot or John Donne. I'd be up in Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes and May Sarton. One would figure that naturally she would want to look for something more homey and familiar and show pride for her Ukrainian heritage. So wouldn't she have wanted to find Taras Shevchenko? Marianna Kiyanovska? Or the multi-literary-award-winning Yulia Musakovska?
I can't rightly tell you not to read something, but I would be remiss to let this one go unreviewed when there's just so much weird about the rushed publication. Definitely not one to read for information regarding the war in Ukraine.
March 2, 2023
Writers of Forewords like comparisons. More often than not these do not serve writers well. In his Foreword to You Don't Know What War Is Morpurgo connects this diary with Anne Frank's -- an unhelpful suggestion.
Diaries are private reflections and Yeva Skalietska's diary starts off well. Daily events are contrasted with the gathering horror and there are some emotional descriptions of Kharkiv. Then, halfway through a major shift occurs: a Channel Four TV crew become involved in Yeva's story. Suddenly, the private becomes public and media takes over. The diary ultimately feels staged, like a documentary, and somewhat artificial.
Diaries are private reflections and Yeva Skalietska's diary starts off well. Daily events are contrasted with the gathering horror and there are some emotional descriptions of Kharkiv. Then, halfway through a major shift occurs: a Channel Four TV crew become involved in Yeva's story. Suddenly, the private becomes public and media takes over. The diary ultimately feels staged, like a documentary, and somewhat artificial.
February 4, 2023
Heartbreaking. Each time I sat down to read it I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I broke my promise every time.
Ironically (in light of the title) it soon becomes clear that Yeva doesn’t fully understand what is going on. This is how it should be with a 12 year old. When she describes the invasion as a ‘war’ (similar to Channel 4 news in the U.K., who played a role getting Yeva’s diaries published ) she doesn’t realise she is playing into the hands of the Russians and their propaganda. I can imagine her grandmother and parents of her schoolmates opting not to explain the difference between war, and invasion / genocide / terrorism / mass rape / mass murder, and I fully understand why they would do that. How (even more) terrifying as a child to be told the reality of what Russia is doing and could do to her. At one point, Yeva wishes the ‘soldiers’ (NB by and large the Ukrainian defenders are not professional soldiers) would go to a ‘battlefield.’ to ‘fight it out’, and stop fighting inside the towns and cities and terrifying innocent civilians. This is another insight into an innocent mind. Do you tell a child that killing children in their homes and schools is Putin’s thing (cf the rape of Grozny)? Of course not. And you hope they never have to discover the whole truth. But by the end I got suspicious as to the role of the publisher in the words of Yeva. Or more accurately - the lack of certain words. Eg why does she never mention Russia, Russians or Putin, apart from saying her apartment is at risk (prescient words) because it “faces the Russian border”? How likely is that? Highly unlikely I say. I suspect strongly that Bloomsbury sanitised Yeva’s diary so as not to offend (oh the irony) Russians or Putin or anyone else looking to take offence (eg Facebook trolls). One clue that this has happened is in the footnote explanations at the end, where a Bloomsbury editor describes Donetsk as ‘disputed’. If Putin was to declare that said editor’s beloved Islington (in North London) was now part of the Russian Federation, would he/she start start referring to their own home as ‘disputed’? I doubt it very much. But they have no qualms about doing it for the homes of millions of terrorised Ukrainians.
Quibbles about the role of Bloomsbury aside, this is an important document which I hope as many people as possible will read.
Sent from my iPhone
Ironically (in light of the title) it soon becomes clear that Yeva doesn’t fully understand what is going on. This is how it should be with a 12 year old. When she describes the invasion as a ‘war’ (similar to Channel 4 news in the U.K., who played a role getting Yeva’s diaries published ) she doesn’t realise she is playing into the hands of the Russians and their propaganda. I can imagine her grandmother and parents of her schoolmates opting not to explain the difference between war, and invasion / genocide / terrorism / mass rape / mass murder, and I fully understand why they would do that. How (even more) terrifying as a child to be told the reality of what Russia is doing and could do to her. At one point, Yeva wishes the ‘soldiers’ (NB by and large the Ukrainian defenders are not professional soldiers) would go to a ‘battlefield.’ to ‘fight it out’, and stop fighting inside the towns and cities and terrifying innocent civilians. This is another insight into an innocent mind. Do you tell a child that killing children in their homes and schools is Putin’s thing (cf the rape of Grozny)? Of course not. And you hope they never have to discover the whole truth. But by the end I got suspicious as to the role of the publisher in the words of Yeva. Or more accurately - the lack of certain words. Eg why does she never mention Russia, Russians or Putin, apart from saying her apartment is at risk (prescient words) because it “faces the Russian border”? How likely is that? Highly unlikely I say. I suspect strongly that Bloomsbury sanitised Yeva’s diary so as not to offend (oh the irony) Russians or Putin or anyone else looking to take offence (eg Facebook trolls). One clue that this has happened is in the footnote explanations at the end, where a Bloomsbury editor describes Donetsk as ‘disputed’. If Putin was to declare that said editor’s beloved Islington (in North London) was now part of the Russian Federation, would he/she start start referring to their own home as ‘disputed’? I doubt it very much. But they have no qualms about doing it for the homes of millions of terrorised Ukrainians.
Quibbles about the role of Bloomsbury aside, this is an important document which I hope as many people as possible will read.
Sent from my iPhone
October 7, 2022
This is an absolutely soul-destroying book. I rarely read non-fiction, diaries or memoirs, but this was a must, especially as the author is only 12. It follows her journey through the first days of the war in Ukraine, her home country. I didn't actually know that she was featured on Channel 4 until it was mentioned in the book, so I will have to see if I can watch that at some point.
I love how You Don't Know What War Is includes photos of her, as well as a map and headlines from around the world for every day, which all made me feel much closer to her and her story, and reminded me of the headlines that I was seeing around that time. Her writing was simple, but effective, and very profound and mature for such a young age. I really enjoyed her way of recounting her days, and even if there were points that I wanted to cry, there were also parts which definitely made me smile.
I loved the group chat messages, where you get an insight into the conversations between her and her friends. This resonated with me a lot, and made it feel even more real. No 12 year old should have to have these kinds of conversations with her friends.
Michael Morpurgo wrote the introduction, which I felt was very fitting, and I liked what he had to say too, especially as he has written so many war stories. I also went to a Michael Morpurgo talk a few weeks ago, so saw him and listened to him talk about his life and books, and his wife was there too which was interesting.
This is the kind of book that I don't want to say too much about, aside from the fact that it will break your heart and give you a new awareness of the war in Ukraine and everything that is going on there. I have two Ukrainian students in my class and there are quite a few in our school, and reading this book has given me a new perspective on what they've been through. Although I will never fully understand what they have seen and lived through, this book is as close as I can come.
This did, in places remind me of Anne Frank's diary. The innocence and way that she recounts the events in a matter of fact way but never forgetting the terror and pain that she lived through.
This is a day by day account of her journey, and I felt like I was almost with her every step of the way. I can never know what war is unless I experience it, but through Yeva's book, I've had a glimpse of it.
Review also posted 08/10/22 on my blog zbestbooks.blogspot.com - https://zbestbooks.blogspot.com/2022/...
I love how You Don't Know What War Is includes photos of her, as well as a map and headlines from around the world for every day, which all made me feel much closer to her and her story, and reminded me of the headlines that I was seeing around that time. Her writing was simple, but effective, and very profound and mature for such a young age. I really enjoyed her way of recounting her days, and even if there were points that I wanted to cry, there were also parts which definitely made me smile.
I loved the group chat messages, where you get an insight into the conversations between her and her friends. This resonated with me a lot, and made it feel even more real. No 12 year old should have to have these kinds of conversations with her friends.
Michael Morpurgo wrote the introduction, which I felt was very fitting, and I liked what he had to say too, especially as he has written so many war stories. I also went to a Michael Morpurgo talk a few weeks ago, so saw him and listened to him talk about his life and books, and his wife was there too which was interesting.
This is the kind of book that I don't want to say too much about, aside from the fact that it will break your heart and give you a new awareness of the war in Ukraine and everything that is going on there. I have two Ukrainian students in my class and there are quite a few in our school, and reading this book has given me a new perspective on what they've been through. Although I will never fully understand what they have seen and lived through, this book is as close as I can come.
This did, in places remind me of Anne Frank's diary. The innocence and way that she recounts the events in a matter of fact way but never forgetting the terror and pain that she lived through.
This is a day by day account of her journey, and I felt like I was almost with her every step of the way. I can never know what war is unless I experience it, but through Yeva's book, I've had a glimpse of it.
Review also posted 08/10/22 on my blog zbestbooks.blogspot.com - https://zbestbooks.blogspot.com/2022/...
January 13, 2023
" războiul nu este o povestea scrisă de jurnaliști și nici ficțiune. Războiul este trăit zi de zi și noapte de noapte. "
January 26, 2023
”me ollaan vasta lapsia, ja me ansaitaan elää rauhassa ja onnellisina” ❤️🩹
January 27, 2023
Oh, Gosh. Impossible to read due to the full pack of russian narratives and propaganda. Pure kid, her grandmother probably filled her head with so much bullshit.
January 27, 2023
Hard to know what to make of this one. It is a children's book and I think it would be really eye-opening and moving for that age group. But I do feel like it was also published for adult audiences who are physically and emotionally far from Ukraine, who have some sympathy, but might otherwise see a shocking headline or image and keep scrolling, and then books like these are supposed to make them care more. It definitely was not published for Ukrainians, or for those personally invested who’ve been following Russia’s continued cruelties very closely.
Yeva and her grandmother got incredibly lucky — probably as lucky as they can be for people who have lost their home and don’t know when they can return. In saying this, I do not mean to minimise their trauma, nor am I implying they should have "suffered more". Rather, that their experience is simply not representative of that of most Ukrainian refugees, or refugees in general, or of the millions who had to stay behind in Ukraine. Which is why I find the title of the book a bit rich.
In fact, I worry a bit that this particular story having so much capital, as a published book with a foreword by a very prominent British children’s author, translated into many languages, will reinforce the whole "Ukrainian refugees are treated like royalty" narrative that the media spreads (by the way, this is an incredibly simplistic interpretation of things that I can anecdotally assure you is not true).
I guess they wanted to publish this quickly, but did anyone else notice that the footnote said that Odesa (which the translator spelt in the Russian way, while giving other cities the Ukrainian transliteration) is on the Red Sea…? Also other inconsistencies, like alternately referring to Prospekt Haharina / Avenue Haharina in Kharkiv…
The cherry on top for me was that proceeds from the book will go to UNCHR UK. I’m not sure about that particular one, but it’s been reported that big organisations, such as Red Cross, actually use a tiny proportion of the donations to help those most in need in Ukraine. Donating to Ukraine-based entities is the best way to make sure your money goes a long way, so if you would like to do that, please check out this list instead.
Again, this is the diary of a child, so I am not blaming Yeva. I guess it’s the adults around her who determined how it came out into the world.
Слава Україні!
Yeva and her grandmother got incredibly lucky — probably as lucky as they can be for people who have lost their home and don’t know when they can return. In saying this, I do not mean to minimise their trauma, nor am I implying they should have "suffered more". Rather, that their experience is simply not representative of that of most Ukrainian refugees, or refugees in general, or of the millions who had to stay behind in Ukraine. Which is why I find the title of the book a bit rich.
In fact, I worry a bit that this particular story having so much capital, as a published book with a foreword by a very prominent British children’s author, translated into many languages, will reinforce the whole "Ukrainian refugees are treated like royalty" narrative that the media spreads (by the way, this is an incredibly simplistic interpretation of things that I can anecdotally assure you is not true).
I guess they wanted to publish this quickly, but did anyone else notice that the footnote said that Odesa (which the translator spelt in the Russian way, while giving other cities the Ukrainian transliteration) is on the Red Sea…? Also other inconsistencies, like alternately referring to Prospekt Haharina / Avenue Haharina in Kharkiv…
The cherry on top for me was that proceeds from the book will go to UNCHR UK. I’m not sure about that particular one, but it’s been reported that big organisations, such as Red Cross, actually use a tiny proportion of the donations to help those most in need in Ukraine. Donating to Ukraine-based entities is the best way to make sure your money goes a long way, so if you would like to do that, please check out this list instead.
Again, this is the diary of a child, so I am not blaming Yeva. I guess it’s the adults around her who determined how it came out into the world.
Слава Україні!
December 20, 2022
I admit, it's an interesting true story about how a young Ukrainian girl saw the war unfold around her. However that is the only good part.
Unfortunately, they would have done better to choose somebody, who actually lived through something awful. Yes, what Yeva went through is terrible, but if you want to show the worst of the war, to strike home how dreadful it is, you should pick someone, who has actually seen the worst - the bombings, the rapes, the deaths of loved ones, separation from your close family and so on...
Yeva didn't really win my sympathies. Yes, she lost her home and had to leave her country, but her family had already been broken (neither of her parents even lives in the same country as her). And as soon as she got to the borders, some reporters picked her up and babied her on all the way to Ireland. She became a little celebrity, showered with gifts and warmth. From there on it reads as: Look at me, how terrible my life is, how horrible everything is, how sad I am - And look what all I got and what everyone is doing for me to make me feel better. It just feels empty, hollow.
Another low point are the factual errors in the book. Odessa is really NOT on the shore of Red Sea, and Geneva convention didn't ban cluster bombs (that's Dublin convention, that has NOT been ratified by neither Russia, nor Ukraine, so in this war it's being used legally)
Unfortunately, they would have done better to choose somebody, who actually lived through something awful. Yes, what Yeva went through is terrible, but if you want to show the worst of the war, to strike home how dreadful it is, you should pick someone, who has actually seen the worst - the bombings, the rapes, the deaths of loved ones, separation from your close family and so on...
Yeva didn't really win my sympathies. Yes, she lost her home and had to leave her country, but her family had already been broken (neither of her parents even lives in the same country as her). And as soon as she got to the borders, some reporters picked her up and babied her on all the way to Ireland. She became a little celebrity, showered with gifts and warmth. From there on it reads as: Look at me, how terrible my life is, how horrible everything is, how sad I am - And look what all I got and what everyone is doing for me to make me feel better. It just feels empty, hollow.
Another low point are the factual errors in the book. Odessa is really NOT on the shore of Red Sea, and Geneva convention didn't ban cluster bombs (that's Dublin convention, that has NOT been ratified by neither Russia, nor Ukraine, so in this war it's being used legally)
January 10, 2023
I believe Channel 4 wanted to get the scoop on a potential 21st century Anne Frank from Ukraine who is a decent English speaker/writer....that is sort of what this is. To be clear, I don't think Yeva is Anne. I think some businessmen wanted her to be and capitalized on her diary just in case it would make them big Anne Frank-esque $$$.
That being said, this book would be excellent for English speaking elementary school or even early middle school aged students learning about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It might not do a ton for the high-brow wanna-be professors who only read literary fiction on Goodreads but 8-year-olds born in 2014 are probably not as well versed in eastern European politics since the fall of the Soviet Union and could learn from Yeva's viewpoint.
That being said, this book would be excellent for English speaking elementary school or even early middle school aged students learning about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It might not do a ton for the high-brow wanna-be professors who only read literary fiction on Goodreads but 8-year-olds born in 2014 are probably not as well versed in eastern European politics since the fall of the Soviet Union and could learn from Yeva's viewpoint.
December 3, 2023
Even before going into this book I had some doubts about it and unfortunately they only got confirmed. I only pushed my way through it because I already had it standing on my bookshelf at home and I unfortunately haven't checked its reviews before buying it. I'm rating this book with 1/5 ★ because I strongly believe that it should not get more attention than it already received. I can see how it could be naively read by non-Ukrainian readers, not noticing specific nuances and aspects that are very critical about it. There is a myriad of reasons why this book should not have been published, so let me go into a couple of them.
1. There were phrases within it that read like pro-Russian propaganda. Even though some might argue that the author is 12 years old, that she can't reflect enough on her own thoughts and the things that she hears in the media, it is the responsibility of the publishing house and the editor to get the nuances right out of moral responsibility. Passages like the ones below made me wince while reading them:
We're hearing that other countries are now proposing sanctions, while refusing to send more weapons. In some ways, that might be for the best ...
p. 42
Then, we learned that Ukrainian tanks and APCs are stationed between apartment buildings. We are worried we'll end up being used as human shields.
p. 47
I want so badly for all of this to be over and for there to be peace between Russia and Ukraine.
p. 197
These kind of statements are extremely triggering to Ukrainians. Even though they could be open to interpretation, could pass for childlike naïveté but they are extremely dangerous if the author is taken as an ambassador of the "Ukrainian opinion". It's even worse to present them within a childrens' book, where children might simply absorb them, take them as reality and spread such messages further. The phrase that Ukrainians would ever use civilians as live shields hit like the worst level of offense possible. Implying that weapons shouldn't be sent to Ukraine in order to support the country... The comparison of brotherly nations between Ukraine or Russia or the push towards peace rather than having Russia stop the war and release all occupied Ukrainian territories sounded like concealed propaganda.
2. The title doesn't really correspond with the content. The author is 12 years old and only spent 13 days in Ukraine since the start of the war before she was able to flee the country with her grandmother. First of all, such an amount of time is nowhere near sufficient in order to give her a full understanding of war and all its intricacies. Second, by putting such an experience in the limelight it diminishes all the issues the majority of Ukrainians are still going through or had to go through when deciding on whether to stay or to go. This girl simply doesn't know what war is either.
Day 13. We're Leaving. Our New Life Awaits. Farewell!
p. 135
3. Her story oversimplifies what Ukrainians lived and continue to live through as a result of the war. It is not explicitly mentioned how money plays an enormous role in her having been able to leave the country and it displays the escape in such an easy way, that simply doesn't correspond with reality for so many others. Due to financial abundance and family connections she was able to leave the country without significant problems not even two full weeks after the start of the war. Even from the personal experience of my family I know how much of an ordeal it was and I would find it offensive if so many readers who have purchased this book would think that Yeva's experience is actually the norm, while it is far from being it.
We got in the taxi and started talking to the driver - he told us he's from Donetsk. We asked what the fare was and he said it was free.
p. 100
At last, our train's arrival was announced. We ran, along with a large crowd of others, towards the platform. We got out on to the platform and tried to make our way to our carriage. It wasn't easy, but we made it. Yay!
p. 101
We walked through the doors and ... there was a crowd of people awaiting our arrival. There were television reporters, our hosts' friends and family and our hosts themselves - Catherine and Gary. It was a warm welcome.
p. 157
It even made me think of the book "American Dirt" at times, when obviously only the luckiest things happened to the author and her grandma.
We stood there, tears in our eyes, praying. Please let us through. And they did! They said that, even though we didn't have a consent document from Mum, and even though Granny didn't have her passport, they would let us through because normal rules don't apply during war time.
p. 137
4. The book is portrayed to be written by a child which often is just not believable. In the least, it must have been edited by someone and this is not presented in a transparent way. Photos of the girl's original diary written in Russian were included and the style also didn't sound like anything a child her age would write like. A translator isn't stated and there were quite a few mistakes still left within it, that have been completely missed. It therefore felt odd and messy, among others misspelling the Ukrainian currency, including grammatical errors, typos, etc. ...
Hryvnia or hryvnya has been the national currency of Ukraine since 1996. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyky. The plural of hryvnia is hyrvni.
p. 234
A beautiful big old building designed way back when by Beketov himself.
p. 220
5. The book was too "Russian" in a time when all Ukrainians are making the biggest effort to put the emphasis on anything and everything Ukrainian. The fact that the girl thinks of a Russian writer when going to an Irish library just made me wonder with which underlying political interests this book was written with...
After the museum, we made our way to Trinity College. [...] And then we stepped into the library [...]. Then, we walked up some stairs and entered a very long library. I had no doubt you could find a few of Pushkin's poems there (that's whose name popped into my head when I tried to think of a writer, I don't know why).
p. 171
6. The way the book was written didn't make me feel anything. Even though it's supposed to be a children's book, I believe that there is still a way of getting things across that awaken some compassion within the reader. For me, it wasn't emotionally engaging, it rather felt cold and flat. Even when speaking about the most horrible things, the feelings around them seemed to be expressed in an artificial way.
That's all great, but the Russian occupiers are there now. It's so sad.
p. 210
This was a real life example of how a story that's not worth it gets published simply because the person involved with it had the right connections. Even though one might argue that a lot of the opinions are just the ones of an innocent child, I believe that more attention has to be paid to the material published about such a sensitive topic as a currently still ongoing war. The whole book simply felt wrong, like it was this one story (which isn't even representative of the general Ukrainian refugee experience) which got blown up out of proportion and which was pushed into publishing as quickly as possible to profit off the wave of the news that were ongoing about Ukraine at that time. It seemed like the majority of the positive reviews I saw about this book came from Europeans that don't have enough insight to notice manipulative details, which would be absolutely evident to someone who's Ukrainian. This is an absolute suggestion against you reading this book or even supporting it by purchasing a copy of it.
December 10, 2022
TU NON SAI COS'È LA GUERRA Diario di una ragazza ucraina è un libro meraviglioso e unico che ci narra la testimonianza diretta di un’adolescenza rubata, ma soprattutto una voce di speranza per un mondo piombato di nuovo nella brutalità della guerra. Da 12 anni ❤ https://ilmondodichri.com/tu-non-sai-...
#tunonsaicoselaguerra
#tunonsaicoselaguerra
March 27, 2024
Cartea este de fapt un jurnal tinut de o fata de 12 ani care a fost victima razboiului din Ucraina. Incepe cu debutul razboiului, fricile avute, dar si ce s-a întâmplat apoi. Nu este o carte de 5 ⭐, dar i-am dat 4 pentru ca te sensibilizeaza maxim. Si iti pui intrebari si apoi te simti norocos ca esti într-o tare unde e pace. In cazul meu, Franta, tara care imi este casa de 2 ani si cateva luni. Ce e mai rau decat moartea si boala? Sa fugi din calea razboiului. Sa știi ca trebuie sa te salvezi, ca s-ar putea casa ta sa nu mai existe cand te intorci. Ca poate familia ta nu va mai fi in viata si nici prietenii tai. Ca tot ce tine de copilarie sau amintiri este distrus. Este absolut groaznic prin ce au trecut si trec refugiatii din Ucraina. Peste o luna se implineste un an de razboi si nu pot uita cat de devastata a fost lumea.
November 6, 2022
heartbreaking.
it feels strange to give a war diary written by a 12 year old girl in 2022 5/5 stars.
it feels strange to give a war diary written by a 12 year old girl in 2022 5/5 stars.
March 22, 2023
Yeva escaped and her diary was published so soon after the start of the war. About half of it is about her escape and starting a new life in Ireland. Definitely valuable to read about, and OF COURSE great that she managed to get out. But it makes the title somewhat disingenuous. Her experience was clearly seized upon by news outlets trying to get the first "child's war diary" from this conflict. But the war has now continued for over a year, with no end in sight. And the positive tone of this type of diary (despite mentions of sadness and terror) I think does a disservice to the effort of getting outsiders to actually understand war. A book like this, intended for children, creates a false sense that "things will work out" with enough hope and prayer and positive thinking. Overall, this book isn't entirely unhelpful to understanding war and Ukraine, but I don't think it is the most useful representation of this situation, even for children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2022
It would feel wrong of me to give this book anything less than a 5/5, however the sad truth is that this story didn’t come across as heart-wrenching or special. When you are Ukrainian, and have your entire family in Ukraine, you hear a million stories. One worse than the other, and this book was just ‘another normal story’ to me. I guess what makes it sad is the fact that this type of pain has become a normal day to day experience for millions of Ukrainians around the globe, including myself. No one should feel this way, but those of us who do, have nothing else to do but keep living and saying ‘переможемо‘. I wish the best for Yeva and her Grandma.
Although emotional, this is from a child’s perspective. I would not recommend this to an adult reader for an in-depth depiction of the real horrors going on back at home.
Although emotional, this is from a child’s perspective. I would not recommend this to an adult reader for an in-depth depiction of the real horrors going on back at home.
January 16, 2023
Tärkeä kirja tästä ajasta, uskon, että tämän kirja arvo vain nousee vuosien kuluessa.
Aikuisena lukijana olisin toivonut kirjaan enemmän pituutta ja toisaalta ehkä faktaakin. Mutta koska luin tämän myös työtarkoitukseen, kirjan pituus on juuri sopiva. Valitettavasti kirjan whatsapp-viestit eivät suomennoksessa olleet kovin selkeitä, vaaleimmat tekstit jäivät mieltei näkymättömiin. Mustavalkokuvat olivat myös hiukan sumeita mutta toisaalta ne sopivat hyvin kirjan tyyliin, eikä tässä kirjassa olleet ehkä niin tärkeitä. Minulle olisi riittänyt yksi kuva kirjoittajasta. Jää nähtäväksi, miten kirja toimii nuorille. Vinkkaukseen kirjan saan vasta, kun varausjono lyhenee.
Aikuisena lukijana olisin toivonut kirjaan enemmän pituutta ja toisaalta ehkä faktaakin. Mutta koska luin tämän myös työtarkoitukseen, kirjan pituus on juuri sopiva. Valitettavasti kirjan whatsapp-viestit eivät suomennoksessa olleet kovin selkeitä, vaaleimmat tekstit jäivät mieltei näkymättömiin. Mustavalkokuvat olivat myös hiukan sumeita mutta toisaalta ne sopivat hyvin kirjan tyyliin, eikä tässä kirjassa olleet ehkä niin tärkeitä. Minulle olisi riittänyt yksi kuva kirjoittajasta. Jää nähtäväksi, miten kirja toimii nuorille. Vinkkaukseen kirjan saan vasta, kun varausjono lyhenee.
May 29, 2023
I think I would have appreciated this book more if it had been given a different title.
To claim “you don’t know what war is” when the author herself experienced very little of what war is before being evacuated by her grandmother, and then spending time touring museums and going to school in another country, is a touch disingenuous. I don’t doubt that her experience was terrifying, but having read similar books and memoirs of survivors of war, this book was very clearly a rush-to-publish job by journalists who felt they had found a pretty young girl of war, who they could paint as the next Anne Frank.
Disappointing read, though I am very happy that she was able to escape the conflict.
To claim “you don’t know what war is” when the author herself experienced very little of what war is before being evacuated by her grandmother, and then spending time touring museums and going to school in another country, is a touch disingenuous. I don’t doubt that her experience was terrifying, but having read similar books and memoirs of survivors of war, this book was very clearly a rush-to-publish job by journalists who felt they had found a pretty young girl of war, who they could paint as the next Anne Frank.
Disappointing read, though I am very happy that she was able to escape the conflict.
April 3, 2023
How can you rate a book like this?
I'm giving it a 5,to support Yeva 🙏
I'm giving it a 5,to support Yeva 🙏
February 10, 2023
24 februari 2022 förändras livet för 12-åriga Yeva Skalietska när Ryssland invaderar Ukraina och hennes hemstad Charkiv attackeras. Tillsammans med sin farmor Irina förfasas hon över det som sker och börjar föra dagbok för att dokumentera bombningarna och sedan deras flykt, som till slut landar dem i Dublin på Irland.
En intressant och lite skrämmande inblick i ett krig som, ett år senare, fortfarande pågår. Den kan jämföras med Anne Franks dagbok, även om den här inte är lika uttömmande. Å andra sidan så har den ju ett något lyckligare "slut". Yeva och hennes farmor lyckas fly från krigets Ukraina, men det är inte över och de hoppas kunna återvända en dag.
Språket är en 12-årings, så boken är lättläst och passar även att läsas av barn. Speciellt eftersom Yeva inte bara fokuserar på de fasansfulla händelserna, utan också på glädjefyllda ögonblick och på alla människor som hjälper dem på vägen. Just detta att folk är så hjälpsamma när det kommer till sina medmänniskor i detta krig verkar vara ett genomgående tema och det värmer i hjärtat.
En intressant och lite skrämmande inblick i ett krig som, ett år senare, fortfarande pågår. Den kan jämföras med Anne Franks dagbok, även om den här inte är lika uttömmande. Å andra sidan så har den ju ett något lyckligare "slut". Yeva och hennes farmor lyckas fly från krigets Ukraina, men det är inte över och de hoppas kunna återvända en dag.
Språket är en 12-årings, så boken är lättläst och passar även att läsas av barn. Speciellt eftersom Yeva inte bara fokuserar på de fasansfulla händelserna, utan också på glädjefyllda ögonblick och på alla människor som hjälper dem på vägen. Just detta att folk är så hjälpsamma när det kommer till sina medmänniskor i detta krig verkar vara ett genomgående tema och det värmer i hjärtat.
February 2, 2025
„Krieg neigt dazu, gleichzeitig omnipräsent zu sein und völlig ungreifbar.“
Ein sehr schönes und ergreifendes Buch, in einfacher Sprache. Die zwölfjährige Yeva erzählt von den ersten Tagen des Kriegs und ihrer Flucht.
Ein sehr schönes und ergreifendes Buch, in einfacher Sprache. Die zwölfjährige Yeva erzählt von den ersten Tagen des Kriegs und ihrer Flucht.
February 21, 2024
2. 5⭐
This was a loan from the Library and I was intrigued to have a child's perspective of her experience of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
I must admit the title didn't sit right with me... How can a child make such a statement when millions have lived through massive wars and atrocities?
From the get go this book to me seems more of a testimony to those who helped Yeva and her Grandma, Yeva talks of hearing bombing etc and apart from little snippets at chapter starts from newspaper headlines etc this book does not cover what I would imagine to be the whole truth and everyday reality of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Yeva is compared to Anne Frank?? This is in itself just ridiculous.. Yeva, yes has had to uproot but please, she states she is happy and living a bountiful life in Ireland, how can this be compared to Anne?.... Anne Franks diary was on a whole different level to this book.
This book was an easy, quick read and glad it's off my TBR but has just left me feeling agitated.
Sorry to say I wouldn't recommend 😔
This was a loan from the Library and I was intrigued to have a child's perspective of her experience of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
I must admit the title didn't sit right with me... How can a child make such a statement when millions have lived through massive wars and atrocities?
From the get go this book to me seems more of a testimony to those who helped Yeva and her Grandma, Yeva talks of hearing bombing etc and apart from little snippets at chapter starts from newspaper headlines etc this book does not cover what I would imagine to be the whole truth and everyday reality of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Yeva is compared to Anne Frank?? This is in itself just ridiculous.. Yeva, yes has had to uproot but please, she states she is happy and living a bountiful life in Ireland, how can this be compared to Anne?.... Anne Franks diary was on a whole different level to this book.
This book was an easy, quick read and glad it's off my TBR but has just left me feeling agitated.
Sorry to say I wouldn't recommend 😔
August 15, 2022
Utterly Compelling
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for a free ARC of this book.
You Don’t Know What War Is is the dairy of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl, Yeva Skalietska, and it covers her experiences of war from her birthday—a few days before Russia invaded—through the early days of the invasion and heavy shelling of Kharkiv, and onward to after she and her grandmother have become two of the many refugees fleeing their home country.
From the foreword by Michael Morpurgo: ‘Yeva’s utterly compelling story stays with us: one young writer’s descent from everyday life into hell, and ultimately into salvation.’
Yeva’s experience and diary records certainly do stay with the reader. Her first entry shows us her youth and innocence… ‘I wake up early on the morning of 14 February. Today is my birthday. I’m twelve—almost a teenager!’ … Her excitement is palpable. Then, mere days later, Yeva writes: ‘All of a sudden, a massive rocket flew by and exploded with such force that I felt my heart go cold in my chest.’
The diary feels authentic with many of the words and phrases presented as you would expect from a twelve-year-old, and it seems the editors have, largely, left Yeva’s words untouched and true to her experience and expression. The only time I felt any intrusion into this was the point at which the reader is told: ‘I’ve been keeping a secret from this diary ever since we met the reporters.’ … This revelation was huge and would have changed how Yeva and her grandmother experienced and felt about all the events that had led up to that secret and beyond. For me, this undermined the authenticity of the read massively. I would have much preferred that the revelation had been given its proper place and significance in the telling of events. Being given this news when Yeva heard it, and getting her actual reaction, would have been real and brilliant. As it is, it feels jarring and deceptive. Was this an editorial decision? … I don’t know. But, for me, it would enhance rather than mar my experience of this read if the significant event was told in sequence.
As well as Yeva’s entries, we also see text messages between her and her friends. And this gives the reader more insight into how individual experiences of war can differ depending on viewpoint and location. Photographs, hand drawn maps, international news headlines, and detailed notes also help to add to the understanding of Yeva’s journey through Ukraine, Hungary, and eventually to Ireland.
Here are some lines which show this young writer’s skill …
‘Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial.’
And …
‘Evenings are full of the unknown and swallow me whole with fear.’
And …
‘Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?’ … A great question, I feel!
The diary closes with short entries from some of Yeva’s friends, which I think is a wonderful thing to do. You Don’t Know What War Is gets five stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for a free ARC of this book.
You Don’t Know What War Is is the dairy of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl, Yeva Skalietska, and it covers her experiences of war from her birthday—a few days before Russia invaded—through the early days of the invasion and heavy shelling of Kharkiv, and onward to after she and her grandmother have become two of the many refugees fleeing their home country.
From the foreword by Michael Morpurgo: ‘Yeva’s utterly compelling story stays with us: one young writer’s descent from everyday life into hell, and ultimately into salvation.’
Yeva’s experience and diary records certainly do stay with the reader. Her first entry shows us her youth and innocence… ‘I wake up early on the morning of 14 February. Today is my birthday. I’m twelve—almost a teenager!’ … Her excitement is palpable. Then, mere days later, Yeva writes: ‘All of a sudden, a massive rocket flew by and exploded with such force that I felt my heart go cold in my chest.’
The diary feels authentic with many of the words and phrases presented as you would expect from a twelve-year-old, and it seems the editors have, largely, left Yeva’s words untouched and true to her experience and expression. The only time I felt any intrusion into this was the point at which the reader is told: ‘I’ve been keeping a secret from this diary ever since we met the reporters.’ … This revelation was huge and would have changed how Yeva and her grandmother experienced and felt about all the events that had led up to that secret and beyond. For me, this undermined the authenticity of the read massively. I would have much preferred that the revelation had been given its proper place and significance in the telling of events. Being given this news when Yeva heard it, and getting her actual reaction, would have been real and brilliant. As it is, it feels jarring and deceptive. Was this an editorial decision? … I don’t know. But, for me, it would enhance rather than mar my experience of this read if the significant event was told in sequence.
As well as Yeva’s entries, we also see text messages between her and her friends. And this gives the reader more insight into how individual experiences of war can differ depending on viewpoint and location. Photographs, hand drawn maps, international news headlines, and detailed notes also help to add to the understanding of Yeva’s journey through Ukraine, Hungary, and eventually to Ireland.
Here are some lines which show this young writer’s skill …
‘Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial.’
And …
‘Evenings are full of the unknown and swallow me whole with fear.’
And …
‘Do you enjoy fighting in cities, destroying everything in your wake, instead of fighting in the battlefields?’ … A great question, I feel!
The diary closes with short entries from some of Yeva’s friends, which I think is a wonderful thing to do. You Don’t Know What War Is gets five stars from me.
***
NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.
May 26, 2023
I initially did not want to review this - why would you rate a child's diary, after all?
I enjoyed the diary, and I learnt some chilling details of war. I believe that it's important to know the details of war, as it could directly affect my own country in the future. This book is certainly suitable for young readers, since I don't think the majority of adults would find it informative enough.
There are some parts of this account that need to be criticised. Firstly: Yeva is clearly one of the most privileged Ukrainians in this war. She didn't have to part with close family that she lives with everyday, she got out of immediate danger incredibly quickly, and they have plenty of money to help them along. (Renting in Dublin is hardly affordable by most people who live here. They also have a large holiday home.)
The majority of Yeva's fears are materialistic, and this is a clear consequence of her luck. The question 'Does Yeva truly know what war is either?' kept popping into my head, even though I was ashamed to tease that idea. Her friend's accounts at the end of the book seem more harrowing than her own experience, and they likely share some of her privilege. She doesn't know anyone who fought either.
Finally, I felt that the presence of the Channel 4 reporters completely changed the tone of the book. It doesn't feel genuine, especially after Budapest. Most chapters in Ireland detail her happiness, with a single vague line at the end about how she misses her home. I don't believe this is how actual diaries are written. She's knows her diary has an audience, so really it's become a blog. From reading other reviews from Ukrainians, there is also some misinformation surrounding the war, but I'm not an expert and won't go into that.
I would like to emphasize that I mean no disrespect to Yeva Skalietska. After meeting her in person, she seems like a very positive and kind person, and she's got potential to be a fantastic academic and writer. It's a shame that this is promoted to be some kind of ultimate account of the war in Ukraine, but this is due to the reporters and not Yeva. We are glad to have her safe here in Ireland, and I hope she uses her influence and skills to make a good life for herself after such a dramatic event in her young life.
💙💛
I enjoyed the diary, and I learnt some chilling details of war. I believe that it's important to know the details of war, as it could directly affect my own country in the future. This book is certainly suitable for young readers, since I don't think the majority of adults would find it informative enough.
There are some parts of this account that need to be criticised. Firstly: Yeva is clearly one of the most privileged Ukrainians in this war. She didn't have to part with close family that she lives with everyday, she got out of immediate danger incredibly quickly, and they have plenty of money to help them along. (Renting in Dublin is hardly affordable by most people who live here. They also have a large holiday home.)
The majority of Yeva's fears are materialistic, and this is a clear consequence of her luck. The question 'Does Yeva truly know what war is either?' kept popping into my head, even though I was ashamed to tease that idea. Her friend's accounts at the end of the book seem more harrowing than her own experience, and they likely share some of her privilege. She doesn't know anyone who fought either.
Finally, I felt that the presence of the Channel 4 reporters completely changed the tone of the book. It doesn't feel genuine, especially after Budapest. Most chapters in Ireland detail her happiness, with a single vague line at the end about how she misses her home. I don't believe this is how actual diaries are written. She's knows her diary has an audience, so really it's become a blog. From reading other reviews from Ukrainians, there is also some misinformation surrounding the war, but I'm not an expert and won't go into that.
I would like to emphasize that I mean no disrespect to Yeva Skalietska. After meeting her in person, she seems like a very positive and kind person, and she's got potential to be a fantastic academic and writer. It's a shame that this is promoted to be some kind of ultimate account of the war in Ukraine, but this is due to the reporters and not Yeva. We are glad to have her safe here in Ireland, and I hope she uses her influence and skills to make a good life for herself after such a dramatic event in her young life.
💙💛
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