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Winterkill : a novel

From the acclaimed author of Making Bombs for Hitler, a gripping and accessible story of kids fighting to survive the Great Famine in Soviet Ukraine. It's 1930, and Nyl and his younger brother have lived their whole lives on their family farm in Kharkiv, Ukraine. But now, it won't be their family's anymore, because the Soviets are forcibly collectivizing and taking over the land. On top of bad harvests and a harsh winter, conditions continue to get worse until it becomes clear the lack of food is not just chance... but a murderous plan leading all the way to Stalin. Nyl and his neighbors try to steal back grain from the authorities, but the Soviets seem intent on slowly destroying the village. Can Nyl help save his community from starvation, or will he have to leave his home forever? Known as the Holodomor, Ukraine's "Great Famine" in the 1930s was deliberately caused by Stalin and the Soviets in order to oppress and erase the Ukrainian people and culture. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch brings this historical world to life in a story about unity, perseverance, and the irrepressible hunger to survive.

Book  - 2022
J FIC Skryp
1 copy / 0 on hold

Available Copies by Location

Location
Victoria Available
  • ISBN: 9781338831429 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description 266 pages : illustrations, map ; 22 cm
  • Publisher New York : Scholastic Press, 2022

Additional Information

Syndetic Solutions - Summary for ISBN Number 9781338831429
Winterkill
Winterkill
by Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk
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Summary

Winterkill


From acclaimed author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, this incredibly gripping and timely story set during the Holodomor in 1930s Ukraine introduces young readers to a pivotal moment in history-- and how it relates to the events of today. Nyl is just trying to stay alive. Ever since the Soviet dictator, Stalin, started to take control of farms like the one Nyl's family lives on, there is less and less food to go around. On top of bad harvests and a harsh winter, conditions worsen until it's clear the lack of food is not just chance... but a murderous plan leading all the way to Stalin. Alice has recently arrived from Canada with her father, who is here to work for the Soviets... until Alice realizes that the people suffering the most are all ethnically Ukrainian, like Nyl. Something is very wrong, and Alice is determined to help. Desperate, Nyl and Alice come up with an audacious plan that could save both of them -- and their community. But can they survive long enough to succeed? Known as the Holodomor, or death by starvation, Ukraine's Famine-Genocide in the 1930s was deliberately caused by the Soviets to erase the Ukrainian people and culture. Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch brings this deeply resonant, and remarkably timely, historical world to life in a story about unity, perseverance, and a people's determination to overcome.