A Grain of Hope
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Release Date: April 18, 2024
Pages: 290
ISBN13: 979-8989997626
Synopsis
In the heart of Ukraine’s fertile lands, thirteen-year-old Oksana Kovalenko leads a simple life with her family. The rolling fields and rustic charm of her small farming village are all that she knows. That is, until the Soviet Union takes power, and her world is turned upside down.
As increasing authoritarianism and threats of land and food confiscation loom, Oksana fights to protect her loved ones from hunger and the loss of everything they hold dear. Her strength and resilience are tested as she is forced to navigate through the chaos, witnessing immense suffering as famine erupts due to the regime’s grain requisition. Threatened with being labeled an Enemy of the State, her family and friends endure persecution. She watches in horror as her village is reduced to starvation and despair. Forming unexpected alliances, she finds courage in friendship as she joins an underground movement that plans covert operations to feed starving villagers.
Throughout this ordeal, Oksana grows from a hopeful schoolgirl into someone determined to protect her heritage at all costs. The premise revolves around themes of survival against tyranny, familial bonds in times of crisis, loss of innocence amidst political upheaval, and the resilience required to withstand historical tragedies such as famine and purges that characterized Stalin’s rule over Ukraine.
A Grain of Hope reminds us of the human toll of war and oppression and pays tribute to the strength of the human spirit. Oksana’s story will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
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Praise
"Cole sparkles in this meticulously researched young adult novel, her first foray into historical fiction, about a Soviet/Ukrainian clash at the hands of the feared Soviet leader Joseph Stalin."
—Booklife Editor's Pick
"Heart-wrenching, meticulously researched tale about the Ukrainian Holodomor."
—Booklife Editor's Pick
"A heartbreaking story of starvation, cruelty, and survival."
—Kirkus Reviews
“A Grain of Hope presents a solid fictionalized account of one family's life within a carefully researched historical setting.”
—Dr. J. Otto Pohl, author of The Years of Great Silence
“Superb writing and expert pacing propel this compelling historical fiction along like jet fuel. You don't want to miss this one! Riveting!”
—Reedsy
“The story virtually leaps off the page and into your heart.”
—Reedsy
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