“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.
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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
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
