The Child of Ukraine

Ukraine, 1940. She cups her daughter’s face with her trembling hands, imprinting it on her mind. ‘I love you. Be brave.’ she whispers through her tears, her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. Sending her child away is the only way to keep her safe. But will she ever see her again?

When war rips their country apart, Julia is sent away by her tearful parents in the dead of night, clutching her mother’s necklace and longing for one last embrace. But soon she is captured by Nazi soldiers and forced into a German labour camp, where behind a tall fence topped with cruel barbed wire, she has never felt more alone.

Just as she begins to give up on all hope, Julia meets Henry, a young man from her village who shares her heart full of dreams. And when she feels a fluttering in her belly that grows and grows, she longs to escape the camp and begin a new life with their child. But then Julia is forced to make a terrible choice. A choice no mother should have to make.

New York, 2011. With her heart shattered and her life changed forever by the shadows of war, as the years go by Julia thinks she will never be whole again. For decades she has been carrying a terrible secret with her, her every moment tainted by tragedy and loss since those dark days of the war.

But when she receives a phone call in the middle of the night, far away from the home and family she lost in the war, will Julia finally be reunited with the missing piece of her heart? Or is it too late for her wounds to heal?

Based on the incredible true story of the author’s grandparents, The Child of Ukraine is a breathtakingly powerful tale of love, loss and family secrets, perfect for fans of The Four Winds, The Last Green Valley, and The Nightingale.

This novel was previously published under the name Motherland.

What readers are saying about The Child of Ukraine:

‘OH MY GOSH I AM STILL BROKEN FROM THIS BOOK… heart-wrenchingly compelling… left me in tears with nearly every page… a fantastic read.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘WOW! I absolutely loved this story… beyond heartbreaking… incredible… I read it in less than 48 hours and was totally hooked from start to finish… a must read.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Breathtakingly powerful… Beyond heartbreaking at times, I couldn’t stop reading… this book got a hold of me and refused to let go. This is a corker!’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A searing novel of hope, heartbreak and one woman’s refusal to let her spirit be crushed. I couldn’t put it down, even when I could barely see the page through my tears.’ Erin Kelly, million-copy best-selling author

‘Heartbreakingly raw and emotive. I couldn’t put the book down, I read it in a couple of days, which is unheard of for me! Tears were pouring down my face.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I stayed up until two in the morning to finish this book…. what an amazing story… I couldn’t put it down… heartbreaking. A brilliant read.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heartbreaking… I’m not often moved to tears by books, but oh my goodness… the last few pages had me sobbing! A gripping and powerful read.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Incredible… never before has a book moved me to tears, it really got me. I was fully immersed from the first to the final page. I love this book and will be recommending it to all my friends.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Breathtaking… I don’t think I have the words to describe how utterly beautiful yet heartbreaking it is.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This will break your heart and put it back together again in the most bittersweet way. The most amazing story and characters.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book is for women and mothers everywhere. Heartbreaking. Just finished it and can’t even form a sentence to tell my husband how it ended. There is still a lump in my throat… I feel like I knew the characters personally and was on the journey with them.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heart-wrenching… I could barely put it down once I started reading.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘You have to read this!… Beautiful, gripping, heart-wrenching… will make you cry and hope.’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I can’t put it down! I haven’t read a book in this way, just obsessively captivated and unable to put it down, in a very long time!’ Amazon reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐