A Grain of Hope

by Melissa Cole

Overview

In the shadow of rising Soviet power, Oksana Kovalenko's peaceful childhood is shattered by the relentless grip of tyranny. At thirteen, she is thrust into a world of hunger and fear, becoming an unlikely beacon of hope in Ukraine's desperate struggle against an iron-fisted regime.

Oksana's tranquil life, once defined by the golden expanse of her family's fields, is ravaged by draconian decrees and the perilous threat of starvation. When the government's iron grip tightens, claiming their crops and silencing any whisper of dissent, her village is ensnared in a desperate plight for survival. Witness to the reduction of her world to husks and echoes, Oksana finds her innocence stripped away by unforgiving politics and indiscriminate death.

Amidst the desolation, a spark of resistance ignites within her. Unlikely alliances form under the oppressive Soviet gaze as Oksana joins clandestine groups to combat starvation. Under the scrutiny of watchful eyes, every whispered conversation, every secret exchange of bread, becomes an act of quiet defiance-a resolute declaration: we will not be broken.

A Grain of Hope delves into a heart-wrenching journey of resilience, a testament to the unyielding human spirit. It is the portrait of a young girl whose courage blooms in the bleakest of winters, and whose story leaves an indelible imprint of defiance in the face of despair. Will hope sprout from the most desolate of soils? Oksana's tale begs you to believe-against all odds, it must.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798989997602
Publisher:	Melissa Cole
Publication date:	04/19/2024
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

06/10/2024

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. In spring 1931, 13-year-old Oksana Kovalenko is loving life in her Ukrainian village, working the family farm with her parents and older brother Peter and spending as much time as she can with her best friend, Anya. A chill runs through the village when Stalin’s army invades the tiny town, forcefully steal farms and systemically starve the villagers. As former friends betray each other to receive tiny portions of food, morale plummets—but so does the quiet heroism of resistance.

Cole evokes this fraught, frightening era with an eye for the telling detail, especially the “traditions and simple way of life” in Oksana’s village and how the Bolsheviks trample them. Historical context never slows the narrative, however, and Cole’s inventions, especially her characters’ choices and desires, make the past feel urgent for contemporary readers as they become engrossed by the injustices meted out by the cruel Soviet regime and its intense effort to erase Ukrainian culture. She also aptly demonstrates how war and persecution can drive difficult decisions, especially when Oksana’s friend Anya and her father Grigori join Stalin’s organizations in an effort to survive the conflict and not go hungry, even when Grigori plays a part in arresting Mikhail, Oksana’s father.

When Cole recounts the persecution and torture of Mikhail, and Dymitro, the town’s elderly baker, the unflinching details can be hard to stomach, and readers will feel the ache of hunger and despair right along with the characters. The story is all the more poignant given the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. While this expertly crafted tale may be geared for a younger audience, readers of any age should take Cole’s wise points to heart.

Takeaway: Heart-wrenching, meticulously researched tale about the Ukrainian Holodomor.

Comparable Titles: Erin Litteken's The Memory Keeper of Kyiv, Katherine Marsh's The Lost Year.

Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

2024-05-08
In Cole’s historical novel, a Ukrainian family struggles to survive Stalin’s murderous campaign to enforce farm collectivization during the 1930s.

It’s 1930 in the small Ukrainian village near the Dnieper River where Oksana Kovalenko lives with her parents, Nadya and Mikhail, and her older brother Peter. Oksana, a lively schoolgirl, is excited about the beginning of the new academic year, but there’s tension in the air. In school, a classmate reveals that the Soviet army has appropriated farms in a nearby village. In 1931, a dark cloud of fear hangs over Oksana’s village, though she and her best friend, Anya Yovenko, still play in the fields and swear to each other that they’ll always fight to retain Ukrainian customs, religion, and language. Life becomes increasingly more difficult as Stalin increases the amount of grain that farmers must give to the state until the village farmers find it difficult to feed even their own families. The penalties for disobeying the Soviet dictates, or even being accused of such, become increasingly severe: Townsfolk are beaten by the Soviets, arrested, and sent to frigid gulags, never to be heard from again. In a betrayal of their vows, Anya joins the Komsomol, the Soviet youth group (“They promised always to be friends, but now that promise was broken”). Cole’s disturbing portrait of Soviet brutality is lightened only by Oksana and Peter’s determination to survive, hold on to their traditions, and find a way to help their fellow villagers, risking their own lives in the endeavor. The narrative, scribed for YA readers, is a mix of tumultuous Ukrainian and Russian history with an overarching theme of family love and devotion. Though the subject matter is weighty, the occasionally repetitive and emotive prose is best suited to the younger end of the YA audience. The novel captures the sweet naïveté and innocence of young teenagers who find themselves carrying adult burdens.

A heartbreaking story of starvation, cruelty, and survival.

Kirkus Reviews