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I Will Die in a Foreign Land
- Author
- Kalani Pickhart
- Narrator
- Adam Barr
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Publish Date
- 22 September 2022
- Run Time
- 8 hours 5 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Historical fiction, War, combat and military adventure fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
Winner of the New York Public Library Young Lions Award
Best Book of the Year -New York Public Library, Cosmopolitan, Independent Book Review
In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Théâtre de Champs-Elysées. "Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. "Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad."
A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square (Euromaidan) 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 is a novel that follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are changed forever 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, near Chernobyl, 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, climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano. As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr's lives become intertwined, they each seek out love, redemption and meaning during a tumultuous and violent period.
In this dazzling debut novel, Kalani Pickhart blends narrative, folklore, journalism and Slavic history to create a moving story of 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 the will to survive.
"I tore through I Will Die in a Foreign Land... nothing has given me such a profound impression of what Ukrainians have endured as this intensely moving novel." Ron Charles, Washington Post
© Kalani Pickhart 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
Critics Review
-
Powerful debut ... an impressive feat of empathy ... a rich, multilayered story [that] will resonate with a wide range of readers, and provide illuminating insight for those hoping to learn more about the current conflict.
Guardian
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Pickhart's story is powerful, boldly imaginative, rich in history and feeling, charged with events that have occurred since it was written - and which summon up the same force of the history that compelled an American author to write about this "foreign land".
The Times
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An innovative and compelling debut... I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an illuminating and worthwhile read.
The Irish Times
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This bighearted novel generously portrays the unforgettable set of characters through their determination to face oppression. It's a stunner.
Publishers Weekly, Starred review
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Simply breathtaking in its scope. Pickhart's storytelling is flawless with nothing gratuitous or superfluous. She has taken a large, complex subject and rendered it both tragic and tender by reminding the reader that in the end, the individual life touched by conflict is what really matters.
New York Journal of Books
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In many ways, the book feels like an ode to the everyman of Ukraine. With a deft hand, it celebrates those who strive to heal when the world around them feels broken, and the bravery required to love against the odds.
BookBrowse
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An unforgettable reading experience and a critical lesson in ongoing global history.
Booklist
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A debut that is as thoughtful as it is explosive.
BuzzFeed
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Rooted in historical events, the novel follows four unforgettable characters finding their way amidst the violence and turmoil, striving to live and not just survive. So gorgeous and oh so very timely.
Literary Hub
-
A fully immersive experience that's perfect for a winter read.
Cosmopolitan, Best Historical Fiction Novels of the year
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 4.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Kalani Pickhart
- Narrator
- Adam Barr
- Duration
- 8 hours 5 minutes
- Release Date
- 22 September 2022
- ISBN
- 9781529905212
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Transworld
- Genre
- Historical fiction, War, combat and military adventure fiction, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 4.0(1 review)
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. Winner of the New York Public Library Young Lions AwardBest Book of the Year -New York Public Library, Cosmopolitan, Independent Book ReviewIn 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Théâtre de Champs-Elysées. "Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. "Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad."A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square (Euromaidan) 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 is a novel that follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are changed forever 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, near Chernobyl, 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, climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano. As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr's lives become intertwined, they each seek out love, redemption and meaning during a tumultuous and violent period.In this dazzling debut novel, Kalani Pickhart blends narrative, folklore, journalism and Slavic history to create a moving story of 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 the will to survive."I tore through I Will Die in a Foreign Land... nothing has given me such a profound impression of what Ukrainians have endured as this intensely moving novel." Ron Charles, Washington Post© Kalani Pickhart 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
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