Winterkill

By Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch,

Book cover of Winterkill

Book description

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,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Winterkill as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I loved Marsha Skrypuch’s book, Winterkill, because Marsha's plot-driven, middle-grade historical novels explore tough topics.

This one—about the Holodomor (intentional famine directed by Stalin in 1931/2 Ukraine)—is uncomfortably current even though it's set 90 years ago. My own mother, left Ukraine a year earlier, while my kulak grandfather stayed behind and somehow survived the famine… hiding out in barns to escape arrest. Millions were not so lucky.

Told from 12-year-old Nyl's point of view, the novel has a fascinating Canadian connection through Alice, her father, and Canadian-built tractors. The story of Ukraine's suffering is part of my own family's…

This Ukrainian-Canadian author’s novel for teens is banned in Russia because it tells the truth about the Holodomor—the early 1930s famine the Soviet regime under Josef Stalin imposed on a restive Ukrainian population that didn’t want to live under Communism.

Nyl’s family and the rest of the village want to keep their small farms and their religion, but soldiers sent from Moscow massacre village leaders, seize land and grain, and starve all those who remain. Today the Kharkiv region where this book is set endures regular terror bombing from Russia.

Want books like Winterkill?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Winterkill.

Browse books like Winterkill

Book cover of Between Shades of Gray
Book cover of The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine
Book cover of This Rebel Heart

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,385

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, farms, and famine?

Survival 203 books
Farms 69 books
Famine 31 books