Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan

 

“As a flower strains toward the light, so a man strains with thoughts, words and deeds toward the motherland. For the sunflower, the sun is the only guide; for the man, the motherland is the one and only treasure.”

                                    Ukrainian Folk Saying

  After interviewing Diana Stevan at My Writing Life blog, I learned that Diana had written several novels. I was eager to read Sunflowers Under Fire, a novel based on the life experiences of her maternal grandmother, Lukia Mazurec, in Ukraine. Her story of survival under ominous circumstances will continue to shake peoples' hearts across the world.

  Diana’s mother, Eudokia, was a natural-born storyteller. This talent appears to manifest itself in Sunflowers Under Fire through Diana’s voice.

  I requested the book from the library and I am happy to say that her novel has been the recipient of various awards and recognitions. For example, Sunflowers under Fire has been a Finalist for the 2019 Whistler Independent Book Awards and a Semifinalist for the 2019 Kindle Book Awards. It earned an Honorable Mention in the 2020 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award.

   In Ukraine Lukia and her family had to tackle the hardships and face the tragedies of  World War I. They also had to deal with the aftermath of it. 

   Lukia's husband, Gregory, enlisted to fight for the Tsar while Lukia stayed with their six children. Lukia did not agree with her husband’s decision. Soon after he left, Lukia and her children became refugees. The farm they owned, where they had worked hard for four years, would be invaded, so Lukia and her children were forced to leave and Russian soldiers torched their home.

 The book is a testimony of the devastating consequences of war and the abuse of power by autocracies.  

 Despite her lack of formal education, Lukia had a deep understanding of the political situation of Ukraine. Her reflections and insights express her foresight and visionary power. Her observations resonate today: “Ukraine always seemed to be under some other country’s thumb. Their land with its good earth was the envy of the countries bordering it. It had been like that when she was growing up, it was like that now, and the way it was going, it would be like that for generations to come. Over the centuries it had been invaded by many.”

 

 The story starts on August 5, 1915, on the day Lukia gave birth to Eudokia. Lukia was by herself and she managed to do so without complications. The uneventful birth of Eudokia was not taken for granted. She had lost two babies and had now a total of six children to raise. Eudokia was the youngest one. Diseases and deaths ravaged Lukia’s life, but her resilience and resourcefulness guided her through the turmoil and devastating situations.

  The novel culminates with the final decision of the family to migrate to Canada in the late 1920s.

 This engrossing novel based on true experiences and historical facts offers details of the social and political setting. It is an incredible journey to the past, to a time when antibiotics did not exist. It was common for people to die from sepsis.  

 I am still mulling over several topics related to this novel. For example, I was shaken by the gender double standards and the gender discrimination that pervaded society during those harsh years. It did not come as a surprise because I was well aware of these issues, but it is still disturbing and upsetting to read about it. Even today, we witness how the remnants of these prejudices continue to shape political outcomes, ignite suffering, perpetuate injustice and devastate economies.

    The journey of Ukraine’s independence continues to be sabotaged by the actions of political bullies who consider that violating other countries’ sovereignty is acceptable. It is important to study history to understand the roots of these actions.

  I am thankful that Diana took the time to write this spellbinding story. I hope it will help people understand the complexity of history and the need to respect and support Ukraine’s independence and autonomy.

  The cruel, inexcusable invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, under the command of Vladimir Putin has been a horrifying event. However, the people of Ukraine never gave up on their freedom. They have an honest leader who stands up for his people.

   The attack of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces continues to kill people of all ages. Also, 19,456 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russian forces, and now the Trump administration has cut the funding needed to track these children.

 These children have been forcibly separated from their families. Some of them were sent to re-education camps. Others were sent to foster-care, orphanages or adopted into Russian families.

  Ukrainian people continue to lose their homes and livelihoods, and their families are torn apart. Putin’s lack of accountability is disturbing. In the United States of America at least seventy-five million people voted for Putin’s asset in November 2024. They voted for the guy who called Putin a “genius” for invading Ukraine. Now Putin’s “asset” blames Zelensky for the war on Ukraine and threatens to annex Canada, take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. What kind of person in his or her right mind can support a “man” who has no respect for other countries’ sovereignty?

 Is this the kind of country that voters want in America?

 The trend to normalize this situation is unsettling. This is why I recommend independent journalism that shares facts, honest analysis and is not afraid to oppose fascist ideology. At the bottom of this post, I am sharing some links to the work of independent journalists that do not succumb to the manipulation of fascist ideology. Furthermore, I appreciate the reporting by Daniel Dale who cares to debunk the claims spread by the current fascist regime in the United States of America.

  People will not learn history from playing video games, which is why books like Sunflowers Under Fire should be promoted, shared and discussed.

   Sunflowers Under Fire will motivate readers to delve into the intricacies of history and to understand the impact that the political context has on the lives of common people.

 I enjoyed Diana Stevan’s style of writing and the ways she presents the characters. The scenes are realistic and vivid. Every chapter was engaging and hard to put down. 

 When I reached the end of the novel, I felt curious to learn about the next stage of their lives. I experienced a sense of loss. It was sad to finish it, but I was happy to know that they were traveling to a place of safety where they would live in peace and thrive…

 

 If you enjoyed this post, feel free to check my writing on the following books:

 

Love in Defiance of Pain: Ukrainian stories

Patriot: a memoir by Alexei Navalny

 Walking Away from Hate by Jeanette and Lauren Manning

 

Independent journalists to follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHM8wLOEWX4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjSvSV3zIKA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUDLOAe_71U

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKW9LlTHIs

For climate change news you can follow this website:

https://insideclimatenews.org/category/politics-policy/

 

 

Humor is necessary to support your mental health. You can get informed with a dose of humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNsKFEg5kWo

 

Fault Lines by Nora Shalaway Carpenter

 

  If you can only read one Young Adult fiction book this year, make sure you choose Fault Lines by Nora Shalaway Carpenter.

  Viv Spry is a teenager with an assertive personality, one that appears to be at odds with the rigid ways of the rural West Virginia town where she lives. Viv lost her mother when she was a child, and her aunt died recently.

 Spending time in the tree stand on her homestead helped her to feel her aunt’s energy. Being close to that specific tree made her feel her aunt’s love for her. She was at peace in that sanctuary; it was okay to be who she was there.

 Viv Spry experienced a profound connection with the trees around her. The energy that flowed from the trees was familiar to her. She understood them on a deeper level. One day, something unexpected happens: the earth opens up and the tree falls down close to her. She could have been crushed. When she learns that fracking played a role in this, she is determined to save her homestead and trees from the threat of fracking. 

 The name of the town where the story takes place is an imaginary one: Twisted Pines. Yet the author drew her inspiration from real life situations...

 When Dex Mathews moves to Twisted Pines with his mother, he is filled with hope. His mother has a job for the company in charge of fracking. His parents had been in the military. His father had refused to get help for his depression and PTSD and that broke their family apart. His mother is overburdened by medical debts. Dex and his mother are now living paycheck to paycheck. They had been on the verge of being homeless.

 When Dex and Viv cross paths, there is a special chemistry between them but there is also a conflict that appears to be irredeemable. I will let you wonder… will love blossom between them?

 The read is addictive. It explores many societal issues. I think the roots of all our problems are in this novel. With wisdom and empathy the author exposes various social issues that have shaped our present. Those relevant issues are threaded into the plot in a way that appears to be effortless. We become fully invested in the story as we delve into the intimate thoughts of the characters, dealing with their emotions, hurdles and challenges.What does it mean to be in somebody else's shoes? Dive into this captivating novel with an open mind and heart. Share it with others. 

 This magical book gives you the opportunity to take an introspective look at out present. It shines a light on the multiple ways in which the environment is intertwined with social issues and the economy, and how it is at stake under the abuse of corporate and political power. The novel also exposes the ways in which prejudices undermine and oppress groups of people.

  There is something about Viv that I did not like. She has a hunting background. She used to hunt for food, and I did not like that the author seems to craft a stereotype out of Maeve's mother because she chooses to eat healthy. (The author seems to make fun of Maeve's mother and I found it annoying). Maeve is Viv's best friend.

  Reading this book is an immersive experience. The settings are vivid, the characters are so realistic that I would love to meet them in-person, and I enjoyed the suspense and intrigue that build up throughout the novel. 

  Fault Lines brought tears of joy at the end. I can’t wait to read more books by this talented author.

  Nora Shalaway Carpenter’s note at the end includes this reflection:

“Life is messy and beautiful, sometimes triumphant and at other moments so full of pain and inequity that it can feel difficult to breathe. But there is magic here, too, slipped in among the ordinary, and often not in any of the ways we might expect. We are allowed to care about many things simultaneously, and to fight fiercely for them…”

  As I write this post, I want to remind my readers that we are celebrating National Park Week. Let’s take the time to find out more about what the current situation of National Parks is. Let’s take the time to become aware, to reflect and to be inspired to do something. Knowledge is power, so find out more about what is going on... I am offering a number of relevant links to do so.

 Let's do our part to protect them. 

 

Relevant links:

https://www.npca.org/articles/7044-parks-are-being-dismantled-before-our-very-eyes

https://environmentamerica.org/center/resources/the-costs-of-fracking/

https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2025/04/what-does-trump-2-0-mean-for-the-environment

 https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02052025/todays-climate-former-national-parks-director-trump/

Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisholm

 

 

    Our requests and feedback have had an effect on the study material for the school curricula over the last couple of years since I wrote my review on Unstoppable Women.  A diversity of women has gradually been added, for we continued to insist on the need to offer inclusive study material. It was rewarding to read a speech by Shirley Chisholm recently... Her words inspired us to seek her book Unbought and Unbossed, which I borrowed from the local library.

  As you can see from the photo of the book cover, the book is very old. I cherish old books with a certain fascination: they seem to carry the memories and experiences of people from the past. They harbor a treasure inside; they conceal a kind of power in the knowledge they relay to us; they reveal the secrets that guide us to comprehend how history relates to the present.

  These old books teem with life experiences that can inspire us to move forward with conviction and hope amid the darkest times.

  Progress takes persistence, patience and knowledge. For this reason, I highly recommend this book by Shirley Chisholm, which was first published in 1970. She was an educator and understood the power of education and the need for equity in society. Her book is a window onto the past and it helps to illuminate many aspects of our current reality.

  Shirley Chisholm’s mother was very strict. She did not allow her daughters to go out on dates, but Shirley was a bookworm. She loved to spend time reading, and people were surprised to find out that she had a flair for dancing.  

   People from the Caribbean migrated to the United States in the 1920s due to failed crops and famine. Shirley Chisholm was born in 1924. Her parents were immigrants from Barbados who fell in love in Brooklyn. They had three daughters who were sent back to spend a few years with their grandmother on her farm in Barbados, because their parents wanted to save enough to assure their future in the United States.

 “Barbados is a rocky place, not lush like Jamaica or Trinidad.”  Barbados has the highest literacy rate in the Caribbean.

  In Unbought and Unbossed Shirley shares the details of her childhood and youth as well as the background of her parents. Shirley Chisholm studied to become a teacher and she completed a master in early education. She had a special interest in protecting public education. You will learn about her accomplishments, setbacks and struggles as a woman of color in Congress.

  It was interesting to learn about her life in politics and how she became a Congresswoman, but, most importantly, it was edifying to learn how she challenged the impositions of obsolete conformity to be productive in her position as a Congresswoman. She was the first woman of color elected to Congress in New York in 1968, representing the 12^th congressional district. Her writing is forthright, authentic and sincere.

  I was impressed by her courage and determination, but I was also mesmerized by her reflections and observations because despite the fact that the book was published in 1970, many of her statements are relevant today.

   To be unbought and unbossed in Congress is a merit; it paves the way to progress and good policies.

  The results of the election in Wisconsin this week show that the people of Wisconsin chose the path of Shirley Chisholm. They refused to be bought by a billionaire, and they chose to protect public education, the Rule of Law, fair elections and democratic principles. Shirley Chisholm believed in the power of the ballots—not the bullets. Like Shirley Chisholm, the people of Wisconsin refused to be bossed by a dictator who rejoices in firing thousands of essential workers that are part of the foundation of our Nation.

  The people of Wisconsin refused to be bossed by a dictator whose right hand brandishes a chainsaw while he celebrates the suffering of people losing their jobs or losing their support systems.

 Soon enough the dictator will get rid of the chainsaw. He will pretend that he had nothing to do with the chainsaw. He will blame the chainsaw for the losses, to avoid assuming the responsibility for the damage he has caused. If you want to know what cowardice and weakness are like, look no further. The dictator is a good example of that. 

     Studying history is important to avoid making the mistakes of the past. People in Florida would benefit from learning about the situation of the working-class people during the late 1700s and early 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution allowed the exploitation of workers to benefit the wealthiest people. Soon enough the dictator will try to follow the path of Florida by going back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, a time period in which children of the working-class families were forced to work long hours for extremely low wages. There were no regulations to protect them. Now the legislature in Florida wants to follow the same pattern. They think it is a good idea to deprive teenagers of sleep and to allow companies to make children work long hours without prioritizing their education. This is not efficiency; it is a form of slavery.

  

Ignorance thinks that sleep is a privilege. It is not a privilege. Sleep is a basic need, and depriving teenagers of their hours of sleep to send them to work should be considered criminal.

 Sleep is necessary for growth and also for mental and physical health. Also, using children as a cheap source of labor is unethical and a clear indicator of the fact that Republicans in Florida do not prioritize their education. As I mentioned in a previous post, education is a threat to the abuse of power of tyrants.

   Dictators are eager to sabotage education in every way they can…

    It was refreshing to read Shirley Chisholm’s reflections. She was an independent thinker who did not follow the traps of groupthink. She was not a product of her times, because she was well ahead of her times…Her observations resonate today. I will close the post with some of her quotes:

“Women have been persuaded of their own inferiority; too many of them believe the male fiction that they are emotional, illogical, unstable, inept with mechanical things, and that they lack leadership ability… Women should perceive that the negative attitudes they hold toward their own femaleness are the creation of an antifeminist society, just as the black shame at being black was the product of racism. Women should start to replace their negative ideas of their femininity with positive ones affirming their nature more and more strongly.”

“One distressing thing is the way men react to women who assert their equality: their ultimate weapon is to call them unfeminine. They think she is antimale; they even whisper that she’s probably a lesbian, a tactic some of the Women’s Liberation Front have encountered. I am not antimale any more than I am antiwhite, and I am not antiwhite, because I understand that white people, like black ones are victims of a racist society. They are products of their time and place. It’s the same with men.”

 “It is not female egotism to say that the future of mankind may very well be ours to determine. It is a fact.  The warmth, gentleness, and compassion that are part of the female stereotype are positive human values that are becoming more and more important as the values of our world begin to shatter and fall from our grasp. The strength of Christ, Gandhi and Martin Luther King was a strength of gentleness, understanding, and compassion, with no element of violence in it. It was, in short, a female strength, and that is the kind that often marks the highest type of man.”

 

Enjoy this documentary about Shirley Chisholm and share it with others:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZjMJ_nyA88

Relevant links:

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-senate-panel-advances-bill-to-further-roll-back-child-labor-restrictions/

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/22/trump-students-disabilities-education-department-closing/80293592007/

 https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-tariffs-economy-harris-told-you-so-rcna199722

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRsXmPhLvl0

https://standard.asl.org/20284/features/internalized-misogyny-limits-female-self-expression-success/

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/5-reasons-federal-cuts-are-hitting-veterans-especially-hard

https://time.com/7266955/trump-veteran-affairs-cuts-betrayal-essay/

  If you enjoyed this blog post, you can also check my writing on The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, a book by by Kamala Harris