The Silence of Trees
Written by: Valya Dudycz Lupescu
Editorial Reviews:
Oblivious of the dangers that surround her in World War II Ukraine, sixteen-year-old Nadya sneaks out in the middle of the night to ask a fortuneteller about her lover. She returns to find her house on fire, her family missing, and her boyfriend suspected in their disappearance. The couple flees to escape the invading Russian army, but only Nadya survives, ending up in a Displaced Workers camp in Germany. There she meets Pavlo, and fear and loneliness bind her to him. She chooses to leave the past behind as they begin anew in America. After a lifetime of love and loss, Nadya is forced to confront her ghosts when an envelope arrives from Ukraine. In Nadya's world, myth and magic are a part of daily life-house spirits misplace eyeglasses and sewing needles, a fortuneteller's cards can predict the future, and the dead softly whisper secrets in the night. Nadya must decide how to appease her dead, and in doing so she may finally find a way to start living.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Would absolutely recommend...
Comment: ...this book to anyone who likes well-written literature. This powerful story would be interesting for readers of any age, upbringing or nationality. Can not wait to read the whole book, those first 14 pages are very impressive. Thank you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A story that must be told
Comment: A refreshing story that isn't often told. Great to see a Ukrainian story told from the eyes of a woman about a time that some of us don't know enough about. Will be waiting for the full book!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Intriguing excerpt
Comment: This excerpt from "The Silence of Trees" draws the reader into the world of Nadya and keeps you wanting to learn more about what her future will bring. The writing is impeccable and makes you feel as if you are walking right next to her as she travels through the woods to find the gypsy camp.
I can't wait to read the remainder of the novel to see how Nadya's encounter with the voroshka impacts her life and those around her.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Masterful, Well-Crafted Historical Fiction
Comment: The subtle beauty of this story pulls the reader in with whispers of magic and fairy tales. We meet our heroine, 16-year-old Nadya, who always has her head in the clouds. She is only vaguely aware of the tension in Ukraine, distant talk of war, and is concerned by more mundane things. Her wish is to steal over to the Gypsy camp and have a "voroshka" tell her fortune. Many of her friends have heard wonderful tales from the fortune teller, but Nadya's mother forbids her to go. Headstrong Nadya decides to go anyway, stealing into the dark night when her family is sleeping. The seduction of the Gypsy camp turns sinister when Nadya meets the voroshka, bruised and bloodied from a brutal encounter with Russian soldiers. The excerpt ends here, but we know there is more sorrow to come.
The writing in this piece is masterful, resonant, and haunting. It has an element of magic that makes it seem like a whimsical fairy tale, but whimsy is soon overcome with the dark words of war and brutality. It's a multi-layered story that drew me in with the powerful writing. Action is not at all lacking in this excerpt - I read eagerly to find out what happened to Nadya. My heart is actually still pounding from Nadya's adventures - if this book was available at Borders, I would be there right now buying it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Like a dream
Comment: Just like a dream - I can fully live it myself. Can't wait for the rest....
Thank you!
Format: Download: PDF
Label: Amazon
Manufacturer: Amazon
Number Of Pages: 8
Publication Date: 2007-12-18
Publisher: Amazon
Release Date: 2007-12-18
Studio: Amazon
 | List Price: $0.00 Our Price: $0.00 Availability: Available for download now Average Customer Rating: |
Editorial Reviews:
Oblivious of the dangers that surround her in World War II Ukraine, sixteen-year-old Nadya sneaks out in the middle of the night to ask a fortuneteller about her lover. She returns to find her house on fire, her family missing, and her boyfriend suspected in their disappearance. The couple flees to escape the invading Russian army, but only Nadya survives, ending up in a Displaced Workers camp in Germany. There she meets Pavlo, and fear and loneliness bind her to him. She chooses to leave the past behind as they begin anew in America. After a lifetime of love and loss, Nadya is forced to confront her ghosts when an envelope arrives from Ukraine. In Nadya's world, myth and magic are a part of daily life-house spirits misplace eyeglasses and sewing needles, a fortuneteller's cards can predict the future, and the dead softly whisper secrets in the night. Nadya must decide how to appease her dead, and in doing so she may finally find a way to start living.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Would absolutely recommend...
Comment: ...this book to anyone who likes well-written literature. This powerful story would be interesting for readers of any age, upbringing or nationality. Can not wait to read the whole book, those first 14 pages are very impressive. Thank you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A story that must be told
Comment: A refreshing story that isn't often told. Great to see a Ukrainian story told from the eyes of a woman about a time that some of us don't know enough about. Will be waiting for the full book!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Intriguing excerpt
Comment: This excerpt from "The Silence of Trees" draws the reader into the world of Nadya and keeps you wanting to learn more about what her future will bring. The writing is impeccable and makes you feel as if you are walking right next to her as she travels through the woods to find the gypsy camp.
I can't wait to read the remainder of the novel to see how Nadya's encounter with the voroshka impacts her life and those around her.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Masterful, Well-Crafted Historical Fiction
Comment: The subtle beauty of this story pulls the reader in with whispers of magic and fairy tales. We meet our heroine, 16-year-old Nadya, who always has her head in the clouds. She is only vaguely aware of the tension in Ukraine, distant talk of war, and is concerned by more mundane things. Her wish is to steal over to the Gypsy camp and have a "voroshka" tell her fortune. Many of her friends have heard wonderful tales from the fortune teller, but Nadya's mother forbids her to go. Headstrong Nadya decides to go anyway, stealing into the dark night when her family is sleeping. The seduction of the Gypsy camp turns sinister when Nadya meets the voroshka, bruised and bloodied from a brutal encounter with Russian soldiers. The excerpt ends here, but we know there is more sorrow to come.
The writing in this piece is masterful, resonant, and haunting. It has an element of magic that makes it seem like a whimsical fairy tale, but whimsy is soon overcome with the dark words of war and brutality. It's a multi-layered story that drew me in with the powerful writing. Action is not at all lacking in this excerpt - I read eagerly to find out what happened to Nadya. My heart is actually still pounding from Nadya's adventures - if this book was available at Borders, I would be there right now buying it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Like a dream
Comment: Just like a dream - I can fully live it myself. Can't wait for the rest....
Thank you!
Technical Details
Binding: DigitalFormat: Download: PDF
Label: Amazon
Manufacturer: Amazon
Number Of Pages: 8
Publication Date: 2007-12-18
Publisher: Amazon
Release Date: 2007-12-18
Studio: Amazon
