Like a River from Its Course
A Novel
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5.0 • 6 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
An epic novel exposing the ugliness of war and the beauty of hope
The city of Kiev was bombed in Hitler's blitzkrieg across the Soviet Union, but the constant siege was only the beginning for her citizens. In this sweeping historical saga, Kelli Stuart takes the reader on a captivating journey into the little—known history of Ukraine's tragedies through the eyes of four compelling characters who experience the same story from different perspectives.
Maria Ivanovna is only fourteen when the bombing begins and not much older when she is forced into work at a German labor camp. She must fight to survive and to make her way back to her beloved Ukraine.
Ivan Kyrilovich is falsely mistaken for a Jew and lined up with 34,000 other men, women, and children who are to be shot at the edge of Babi Yar, the "killing ditch." He survives, but not without devastating consequences.
Luda is sixteen when German soldiers rape her. Now pregnant with the child of the enemy, she is abandoned by her father, alone, and in pain. She must learn to trust family and friends again and find her own strength in order to discover the redemption that awaits.
Frederick Hermann is sure in his knowledge that the Führer's plans for domination are right and just. He is driven to succeed by a desire to please a demanding father and by his own blind faith in the ideals of Nazism. Based on true stories gathered from fifteen years of research and interviews with Ukrainian World War II survivors, Like a River from Its Course is a story of love, war, heartache, forgiveness, and redemption.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Four characters find their lives thrown violently off course as the Nazi blitzkrieg of Kiev opens WWII in Ukraine. Ivan's mercy toward his Jewish neighbors causes him to be mistaken for a Jew and herded into a mass execution, which he survives with terrible consequences. When his daughter, Masha, is sent to Germany as a slave, her abusive mistress cannot quench the hope and determination that motivates her to finally escape. Back in Kiev, the young teen Luda is pregnant following a gang rape. She must decide whether she can accept a child fathered by her enemy, and wonders how she could truly love a man after men so grievously harmed her. Finally, Frederick Herrmann is convinced that following the F hrer's destructive vision will bring satisfaction and success. When he realizes the futility of his endeavors, he too is forced to choose between forgiveness and despair. Stuart's debut novel, based on true stories, weaves gritty scenes of war and death with touching moments of grace, hope, and life. Faith questions arise naturally, revealing a realistic view of the Russian culture and landscape of war. Through the darkness, the power of mercy, forgiveness, and love shines brightly.
