Thank you, NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Erin Litteken for the opportunity to read this book. It releases on May 16th, 2022! And a portion of the proceeds will be donated to DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

The Memory Keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken is a deeply personal and emotional novel about generational trauma. The book introduces Cassie in 2004. She is in a deep depression. Her husband was killed in a car accident and her daughter still bears the scars from it as well. Her mother insists that she needs to move on with her life and has her move in with her grandmother, Bobby. Bobby never talked about her past, but now that she is getting older, the memories are resurfacing. In flashbacks to 1929, Katya lives in Ukraine with her family. Stalin begins the collectivization in Ukraine. At first, they are able to resist joining the activists, but then there is the rise of starvation and killing. Katya must do everything in her power to survive and ensure the survival of her family.

Trigger Warnings: death, loss, child death, parent death, starvation, war, cannibalism, and more

While this book does not take place in the present day, it is heartbreaking that we are witnessing history repeat itself with Russia invading Ukraine. I was actually not familiar with The Holodomor and the atrocities that were committed. Let me tell you now, it is horrifying. It is also called the Terror Famine and millions of Ukrainians were killed. What I really appreciated about this book is how this book is deeply personal to the author. Her grandmother also endured these terrifying events. In the book, Bobby keeps her past a secret but still bears the scars. When her daughter and Cassie finally discover her past and the trauma she endured, that pain is also inflicted on them and the readers will see the effects of generational trauma.

I actually enjoyed the two different timelines. Cassie is enveloped in depression and is having difficulty working through her grief. However, it is learning about Bobby’s life that is able to help her work through it. Throughout Cassie’s perspective, she gets to learn more about who she is and where she comes from and who her people are, and what they have endured. The love story aspect did feel a little bit forced at first but then I noticed that there needed to be a little lightness in this very heavy story. But I cannot stress enough how important this story is. There are so many people who have had their stories covered up and ignored. Telling these stories will bring awareness to what is currently happening today. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.