First published 2024
Matthew feels trapped. His journalist father remains stuck overseas while his mother has moved his hundred-year-old great-grandmother into their home during the pandemic. The cramped quarters make Matthew's isolation worse. Everything changes when he finds an old black and white photograph among his great-grandmother's possessions. The image reveals a clue to her hidden past, one that connects to a devastating family secret. The story moves between present day America and 1930s Soviet Ukraine, where the Holodomor famine killed millions of Ukrainians. As Matthew uncovers the truth about his family's history, he learns how the Soviet government concealed this tragedy for decades. The discovery forces Matthew to confront how survival and sacrifice shaped his family across generations. Katherine Marsh draws from her own family history to create this story about a boy who finds connection through understanding his roots.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: America, Soviet Ukraine, Ukraine
Period: 1930s, Present Day
384 pages · Paperback · Square Fish
Content warnings: death