I Will Die in a Foreign Land

By: Kalani Pickhart

Narrated by: Adam Barr

In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Theâtre de Champs-Elysees. A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovych's failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians.

I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is a Ukrainian American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michael's Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wife's death; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano.

While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy.

©2021 Kalani Pickhart (P)2021 Tantor

Enlightening

I enjoyed the story and learned much in the process about tragic Ukraine history particularly the 80 years.

Great book about Ukraine past and present for a torn family

Great book about Ukraine past and present as a story and finding a family that has been torn by war and Russia. I think I am glad I listened first, but it was a little hard to switch from characters and time frames without the visual print. I might read it in print now.

A difficult and worthwhile read

The varying voices lends to clarity of the story. This isn't a book to read and listen to while you're doing other things. It needs and deserves your full attention to grasp the varying timelines, themes and connections woven within.

You won't be disappointed.

read this -- it is important

Kalani Pickhart wrote a poignant, intelligent and beautiful book about the 2013 Euromaidan uprisings in Ukraine. She centered her story on four characters, with huge portions of facts that felt. bit like the short nonfiction chapters that John Steinbeck used in The Grapes of Wrath.

In November 2013, Ukranian citizens began gathering in Kiev to protest after President Yanukovych refused to sign a referendum with the European Union and instead built a close alliance with Russia's leader, President Vladimir Putin. What was a peaceful protest turned violent after the military police fired into the crowd and killed hundreds of unarmed civilians. There is an excellent documentary about these events, Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom, found on Netflix. I paired the movie with this book and learned a great deal.

The four protagonists of this book are: Katya, an Ukranian-American doctor working at a clinic set up in a monastery; Misha, an engineer who lived in Pripyat, and lost his wife to radiation sickness after Chernobyl; Slava, a young activist with a difficult past; and Alexandr, a former KGB agent. Through the events of Euromaidan their lives intertwine. Each is seeking peace, but instead they are all dealing with tumult. I was particularly surprised by the story told about Chernobyl as I went into the book mostly blind and didn't know that one of the characters would be forced to remember that part of his past.

This book felt informative and impactful, while still emotional. It has a haunting quality that transported me to a place I've never been and into the events of a history I didn't know. I learned. And, more importantly, I was moved.

Intricately woven, compelling stories

A complex story line, underscoring cross currents in this difficult part of the world. Somewhat challenging to follow due to abrupt shifts — poor editing without adequate pauses does not always make these shifts clear, although the reader helps with changes of voice that are effective.