The Child of Ukraine

By: Tetyana Denford

Narrated by: Stephanie Cannon

Ukraine, 1940. She cups her daughter’s face with her trembling hands, imprinting it on her mind. "I love you. Be brave," she whispers through her tears, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. Sending her child away is the only way to keep her safe. But will she ever see her again?

When war rips their country apart, Julia is sent away by her tearful parents in the dead of night, clutching her mother’s necklace and longing for one last embrace. But soon she is captured by Nazi soldiers and forced into a German labor camp, where behind a tall fence topped with cruel barbed wire, she has never felt more alone.

Just as she begins to give up on all hope, Julia meets Henry, a young man from her village who shares her heart full of dreams. And when she feels a fluttering in her belly that grows and grows, she longs to escape the camp and begin a new life with their child. But then Julia is forced to make a terrible choice. A choice no mother should have to make.

New York, 2011. With her heart shattered and her life changed forever by the shadows of war, as the years go by, Julia thinks she will never be whole again. For decades, she has been carrying a terrible secret with her, her every moment tainted by tragedy and loss since those dark days of the war.

But when she receives a phone call in the middle of the night, far away from the home and family she lost in the war, will Julia finally be reunited with the missing piece of her heart? Or is it too late for her wounds to heal?

Based on the incredible true story of the author’s grandparents, The Child of Ukraine is a breathtakingly powerful tale of love, loss, and family secrets, perfect for fans of The Four Winds, The Last Green Valley, and The Nightingale.

This novel was previously published under the name Motherland.

©2022 Tetyana Denford (P)2022 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Child of Ukraine is a great historical fiction read.

It’s hard to say it was beautiful but it was. It’s also heart wrenching and makes you angry and invokes all kinds of other emotions in you. But. *That* is the point. I want to emphasize that parts of this are fiction but parts are also, very much real and what a lot of Slavic countries had to live through during that time frame. Disclaimer: I love Ukraine. I fight for Ukraine everyday. Please support Ukrainian artists authors and storytellers of all variations. They have so much to tell and so much that needs to be heard. Slava Ukrainii

Absolutely wonderful

I never thought I would cry so much and welcome it. And then to learn that it was a true story.
This is a wonderful story. A must read.

Reviting

My heart ached as i read this story. it showed the life that had to be endured. Touching the cultural problems that still exist today. Beautiful, sad, loving. i highly recommend this book..