The Lost Year

Published on 26 August 2024 at 21:39

The Lost Year

by Katherine Marsh

★★★★★

My thoughts

The Lost Year is a heartbreaking but truly beautiful story of courage, bravery and determination that had me in tears! I actually ordered this book accidentally, but I am so pleased that it is now on my shelf and wish that more people knew about it.

This story taught me so much about a period of history that I knew nothing about, which I suppose was the purpose of the book. Katherine transports you so brilliantly to nearly 100 years ago where you relive the experiences of poor GG as a young girl. The description and characters pull you directly into GG's recount and the horrors of her youth are painted so vividly that I felt that I was there experiencing it all beside her. This book broke my heart in many ways but taught me the importance of courage and the value of life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, but will give a warning that some of the content is very upsetting and may lead to further questions or discussions about this period of history!

Dive Deeper

Key information

Author: Katherine Marsh

Illustrator: Maria Skliarova

Release Date: 28th Feb 2023

Book type: Chapter, 368 pages, historical fiction, hardback

Reader level: Confident (10+)

Overview

The Lost Year is a beautifully entwined story of thirteen-year-old Matthew and his hundred-year-old great-grandmother, GG.

Set during the peak of the Covid pandemic, Matthew is isolated with him mum and great-grandmother while his father is away for work. To pass time, Matthew begins sorting through GG's belongings and is shocked when he discovers a black-and-white photograph from her youth. But GG is adamant that she will not share the stories of her past, leaving him no choice but to do some digging of his own. Before long, Matthew has earned GG's trust and she begins to share snippets of her past, but nothing can prepare him for the life-shattering secrets that she has hidden from her family.

GG's story takes Matthew on a journey back in time to 1930s USSR during the Holodomor; a man-made famine that killed millions of innocent people. She shares her heart-breaking story of loss, friendship and sheer determination to survive, leaving Matthew stunned and questioning everything he has ever known.

Believing that GG's story should be heart world-wide, Matthew sets out to free GG of her crippling secrets celebrate her survival, but is the world ready to listen?

Spoiler Alert and Content Warning

This book contains honest recounts of a Holomor survivor's experiences. It includes vivid descriptions of people who starved to death and were incredibly ill. GG loses her family to the famine and ends up in an orphanage along with other children who are suffering from illnesses. Some of her friends pass away too, which can be quite upsetting to read.

Should I read this book?

You should read this book if you...

enjoy reading about history

like stories that mix past with present

don't mind sad stories!

Reader level: Confident

Content: 10+

Help me to read

USSR: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was one of the world's largest countries. It was made up of more than 100 different nationalities.