Sunflowers Beneath the Snow

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow

Terri M. Brown

Publication date: January 5, 2022 by Atmosphere Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Summary: A Ukrainian rebel. Three generations of women bearing the consequences. A journey that changes everything.

When Ivanna opens the door to uniformed officers, her tranquil life is torn to pieces - leaving behind a broken woman who must learn to endure cold, starvation, and the memories of a man who died in the quintessential act of betrayal. Using her thrift, ingenuity, and a bit of luck, she finds a way to survive in Soviet Ukraine, along with her daughter, Yevtsye. But the question remains, will she be strong enough to withstand her daughter’s deceit and the eventual downfall of the nation she has devoted her life to? Or will the memories of her late husband act as a shadow haunting everyone and everything she loves, including Ionna, the granddaughter that never knew him?

In Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, Teri M. Brown explores the tenacity of women, showing that even in grueling circumstances, they can, and do, experience all the good things life has to offer - compassion, joy, love, faith, and wonder.

My Thoughts:  Ivanna, Yevtsye, Ionna, three generations of Ukrainian women who all suffer through the volatility imposed by the Soviet Union. This book is set between the years 1973 - 2021. Throughout this time span these three women exemplify the various levels of Ukrainian life during Communist Soviet rule and after Ukraine declared its independence. 

Ivanna could be portrayed as a poster citizen for Soviet Ukraine.  She embraced the Communist leadership despite constant food shortages and poor living conditions. Her husband was lost to her under shady circumstances but Ivanna worked diligently in the long years that followed to provide for her daughter Yevtsye.

Yevtsye had the intellect to help her family rise above the mediocrity. Through her excellence at school, Yevtsye secured better housing and increased food ration cards for herself and her mother. While she wasn't vocal about her political and religious beliefs, she felt that Ukrainians would be better off without the Soviet Union and embraced the chance for democracy. 

Ionna was raised by both women and struggled to see what the big deal was with all the contention between the two nations. Like her parents she excelled at school and as a result was provided opportunities that neither her mother or grandmother could have imagined. These same opportunities forced Ionna to realize just how much Ukraine was suffering and what impact that directly had on her and her family. 

Brown provides some excellent historical content between these two neighboring nations. The author doesn't force the issue and allows the characters to tell their story. Of particular note was the interspersing of Ukrainian traditions throughout. Excellent read and one that should be read by all in order to get a better understanding of the long standing tensions of the region.