Other versions by this Author
From the acclaimed author of Making Bombs for Hitler, a gripping and accessible story of kids fighting to survive the Great Famine in Soviet Ukraine.
It's 1930, and Nyl and his younger brother have lived their whole lives on their family farm in Kharkiv, Ukraine. But now, it won't be their family's anymore, because the Soviets are forcibly collectivizing and taking over the land.
On top of bad harvests and a harsh winter, conditions continue to get worse until it becomes clear the lack of food is not just chance... but a murderous plan leading all the way to Stalin. Nyl and his neighbors try to steal back grain from the authorities, but the Soviets seem intent on slowly destroying the village.
Can Nyl help save his community from starvation, or will he have to leave his home forever?
Known as the Holodomor, Ukraine's "Great Famine" in the 1930s was deliberately caused by Stalin and the Soviets in order to oppress and erase the Ukrainian people and culture. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch brings this historical world to life in a story about unity, perseverance, and the irrepressible hunger to survive.