"This was such a great historical fiction! I loved how carefully and well planned the story was, especially in how the author connected the experiences of the women and their families during the Holodomor and how these two atrocities were committed against one group of people in little more than a decade. Teaching (and writing) History is so contextual and for one to fully understand the timeline, cause and effect and other important historical data from this period, it is essential that these events be shared in context and that is exactly what Litteken was able to do with both this book and her other novel, The Memory Keeper of Kyiv. While the two stories can be read as standalones, they also weave together a story that creates meaning for the reader in the greater span of the historical and geographical context of this setting.

I also really loved that the timeline was linear and chronological, I find that HistFics of recent years time hop way too much! This way, readers can follow the story without constant interruptions. I also liked that there were three female main characters, all connected in some way, but also each unique and with their own aspirations and unique characteristics. Each of the women are resilient, intelligent and independent while also being caring towards others, experiencing great loss, and being bound by the constrictions of their time period.

Thanks so much to Rachel and Boldwood for giving me the chance to be part of this blogtour and to read this fantastic book! Grab your copy today!
"

"This book was breathtaking, sometimes literally making me hit pause on my audiobook to breathe and process.

Summary
Maria has been away from home for years, working in a German forced labor camp. Now she's trying to get back to her village and praying she has family left to return to.

Costia left home to search for his abducted sister, Lydia. Instead he was forced to join the Ukranian Insurgent Army (UPC). His life in the UPC is a nightmare. He wants out. But the price of leaving is the lives of his mother and remaining sister.

When Maria and Costia's path's cross, a tentative alliance is formed. That alliance is shattered when their true identities are revealed. Can it be repaired? When Maria is reunited with her brother only to have him disappear, Costia becomes a tool she forcefully manipulates to try to regain her brother. Costia doesn't blame her. He'd do the same to find his family. But will this stupid war ever relent enough to allow them to go back to being humans instead of bargaining chips in each other's hands?

Thoughts
I have wanted stories about post-WWII Europe for years, and The Silent Unseen delivered above and beyond my expectations. I would love to see so many more books like this one. There's so much fiction about the war, but the stories didn't end when countries were liberated from Nazi rule. Millions were displaced, families were irreperably destroyed, and prejudices ran deep.

The author does such a good job of showing the mental and emotional repercussions on teenagers who have spent years surviving under brutal conditions. Maria and Costia are in a constant state of flight or flight. They simultaneously reach for hope and friendship and shove it away in a desperate bid for survival.

Maria still has an instict to help others, but she runs up against walls of bitterness in her own mind. She desperately wants to connect, but her ability to explain herself has been damaged by years of keeping her head down and trying not to form attachments to people who might be dead at any moment.

Costia has learned to push through almost any level of physical pain. He instictively walls himself off from those around him because he's been surrounded by people who will exploit any weakness he shows. But behind it all he's terrified of being controlled, terrified of making a mistake that will cause harm to those he loves, and so very tired of being a pawn in other's hands. He wants to care. He wants to be cared for. And that seems impossible.

I need more people to read this book so I can talk about it with someone.

Content
Romance: One moderately descriptive kiss.
Violence: There's a lot. The most descriptive is Costia being shot, point blank, in the knee. He deals with the injury for the rest of the story, including a description of rudimentary initially doctoring that turned my stomach (which isn't particularly hard to do). Interrogation torture is briefly shown a few times and frequently referenced in memories. Mass killings are referenced and discussed. Several people are shot and killed. Memories of sexual assault are implied.
Language: Lots of PG-13 level swearing (Sh*t, Go to h*ll, etc)
Religion: Characters have patron saints and, in one scene, pray to a saint. Religion is not a strong element of the story."

Kate Quinn is currently reading The Lost Daughters of Ukraine