Interesting, timely story moving between the recent Covid pandemic lockdown and the forced collectivization of farms in Ukraine during the 1930s. During the Covid lockdown, Matthew spends time with his great-grandmother, sorting through her boxes, and learns about her life and the lives of her cousins during the Holodomor, or Ukrainian Genocide.

Middle school students will connect with Matthew's character, and the stories of Mila, Nadia and Helen will hold their interests while teaching them about an important historical event. Definitely adding this one to the classroom library.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Amazing book telling about a moment in history many do not know about. Many students learn about the holocaust in school and become enthralled in the gruesome events that they cannot believe happened. Students believe this to be a once only type of occurrence. Rarely do they learn about other similar events in history. This book provides multiple viewpoints about a time in history. A family separated by country and by time. Through these viewpoints we have our main character living through the Corona virus pandemic and learning the untold story of his grandmothers past. Through her story we hear the viewpoint of two girls from the 1930s and how the events of The Holodomor. The Holodomor being a great famine that killed millions of Ukrainians. Through the perspective of the two girls we are able to see the impact of the famine on a family directly living through it under Stalin and through a family that was able to escape but is now too far away to help. Both of these perspectives allow the reader to better understand why people would support Stalin while others feared and hated him. The narrative style of this novel allows students to build multiple viewpoints and opinions, providing multiple opportunities for discussion. This was an amazing middle grade book that everyone that does not know about this tragic event in history should read and learn more about.
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.