Winterkill, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
Winterkill, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
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Winterkill

Author: Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Narrator: Michael Gallagher

Unabridged: 9 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/06/2022


Synopsis

Ukrainian Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch tells a gripping story of how the Soviet Union starved the Ukrainian people in the 1930s -- and of their determination to overcome.Nyl is just trying to stay alive. Ever since the Soviet dictator, Stalin, started to take control of farms like the one Nyl's family lives on, there is less and less food to go around. On top of bad harvests and a harsh winter, conditions worsen until it's clear the lack of food is not just chance... but a murderous plan leading all the way to Stalin.Alice has recently arrived from Canada with her father, who is here to work for the Soviets... until they realize that the people suffering the most are all ethnically Ukrainian, like Nyl. Something is very wrong, and Alice is determined to help.Desperate, Nyl and Alice come up with an audacious plan that could save both of them -- and their community. But can they survive long enough to succeed?Known as the Holodomor, or death by starvation, Ukraine's Famine-Genocide in the 1930s was deliberately caused by the Soviets to erase the Ukrainian people and culture. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch brings this lesser-known, but deeply resonant, historical world to life in a story about unity, perseverance, and the irrepressible hunger to survive.

About Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is the acclaimed author of more than twenty books, including Dear Canada: Prisoners in the Promised Land, Stolen Child, Making Bombs for Hitler, Underground Soldier, and Don't Tell the Enemy. She has won many awards for her work and is one of Canada's most respected authors of historical fiction for young people. Much of Marsha's writing focuses on stories from her Ukrainian heritage, and she has been presented with the Order of Princess Olha by the President of Ukraine and named a Canadian Ukrainian Woman of Distinction. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Librariann on March 15, 2022

** I received a free Advance Reader's copy from the publisher because I am a librarian, and librarians are awesome ** "But why would he do that?" asked Alice. "He wants Ukranian land, but not Ukranian culture and traditions. He wants the Soviet Union to be Russian." I was browsing through the ARCs on......more

Goodreads review by Mateusz on July 15, 2022

"Winterkill" is a beautifully written and meticulously researched novel about the Holodomor, Stalin's man-made famine of 1932-1933 in Soviet Ukraine. Skrypuch brilliantly illuminates the entanglements of the East and the West (one of the protagonists is Canadian) and proves why learning more about U......more

Goodreads review by Marsha on November 09, 2023

Nyl is just trying to stay alive. Ever since the Soviet dictator, Stalin, started to take control of farms like the one Nyl’s family lives on, there is less and less food to go around. On top of bad harvests and a harsh winter, conditions worsen until it’s clear the lack of food is not just chance…......more

Goodreads review by Gabriele on October 16, 2022

Marsha's plot-driven, middle-grade historical novels explore tough topics. This one—about the Holodomor (intentional famine directed by Stalin in 1931/2 Ukraine)—is uncomfortably current even though it's set 90 years ago. My own kulak grandfather somehow survived the famine, but millions were not so......more

Goodreads review by Melanie on April 30, 2022

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch has gifted readers of middle grade historical fiction with the Making Bombs for Hitler trilogy, the trio of books beginning with Don’t Tell the Nazis and many other works that have kept my students reading and taught them much about lesser known events in Ukraine. Now she tac......more


Quotes

Praise for Traitors Among Us:* "Told in alternating chapters narrated in the first person by Ukrainian sisters Krystia, 16, and Maria, 14, this gripping novel tells a lesser-known story of the war's horror... this is ultimately a story of the strength of the human spirit. Krystia and Maria are survivors, and they never give up, drawing strength from remembering their parents' belief in them as they struggle to stay alive. Gripping, harsh, and superbly written." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewPraise for Don't Tell the Nazis: "The first-person account, based on the real-life Krystia's memories as told to Skrypuch, reads like a memoir; despite the historically accurate body count, it retains a sense of hope. An accessible entry in a crowded, vital field, honoring those who risked everything to save others." -- Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Stolen Girl:"The author once again deftly sheds light on lesser-known aspects of the Ukrainian experience during WWII . . . A gripping exploration of war-induced trauma, identity, and transformation." -- Kirkus Reviews"A fascinating, compelling read." -- Booklist"In addition to helping children understand conditions that immigrants face in current times, this stands as a deeply personal, relatable study of the long-term psychological effects of war on children, making it a useful addition to a Holocaust or World War II curriculum." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Excellent back matter . . . gives context to Nadia's story . . . This is a strong addition to World War II historical fiction collections, shining a light on a little-known aspect of the Nazi regime's insidious programs." -- School Library JournalPraise for The War Below:"Skrypuch offers a compelling, visceral novel of survival that provides an unusual view of the war... The suspenseful story carries the reader along to its satisfying conclusion." -- Booklist"Skrypuch continues to shed light on the double jeopardy that many Ukrainians experienced... A page-turning window into a complex piece of World War II history." -- Kirkus Reviews"This story, full of numerous acts of compassion and valor, sheds welcome light on a less familiar battleground of World War II." -- Publishers Weekly"A riveting read." -- YA Books CentralPraise for Making Bombs for Hitler: "A gripping story that asks: What would you do to survive?" -- Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee"Inspired by real, historical accounts, this is a powerful, harrowing story of transformation." -- Booklist"Skrypuch draws on real-life stories of survivors in telling Lida's poignant tale, and she creates a cast of young people who are devoted to one another in both thought and deed.... A well-told story of persistence, lost innocence, survival, and hope." -- Kirkus Reviews"The story [has a] strong undercurrent of friendship and loyalty; an author's note gives further background on this important piece of history." -- Publishers Weekly"Students will admire Lida's pluck amid such heinous conditions.... An absorbing read about the lesser-known Ukrainian experience during World War II, this is a solid choice for curricular ties and for middle school historical fiction collections." -- School Library Journal"Skrypuch has written a gripping, emotional novel of one Ukrainian girl's perseverance during the horrors of war.... This is a vivid picture of what youth experienced during World War II and the hopelessness of displaced populations of all backgrounds and religions." -- Voice of Youth Advocates