From Library Journal
The author, who works as a literary translator at the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, witnessed the collapse of Soviet power in Ukraine and the events leading up to the republic's declaration of independence in 1990. These letters, written to a colleague in Canada, cover the period from May 12, 1990, to March 25, 1991. As the daughter of an MP, Pavlychko had access to the sessions of Parliament and to the behind-the-scenes events there. She also participated in street demonstrations, all the while trying to work and at night composing these frequent letters to the outside. Their vivid style captures the drama of a world turning upside down. Requiring too much detailed knowledge about the region to be appropriate for the general reader, this volume will be of interest to Ukrainian collections.
- Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New YorkCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kurzbeschreibung
Written by one of Ukraine's most prominent young literary figures, this book is an eyewitness account of political and cultural change during the tumultuous months of 1990-92 that led to Ukraine's declaration of independence. Solomea Pavlychko, a specialist in British and American literature whose translations include works by D.H. Lawrence and William Golding, provides a picture of the key events in this period, capturing the hopes and terrors of those involved. It also includes photographs by Ukranian photographers. The translator, Myrna Kotash, has written "All of Baba's Children", "A Long Way from Home: The Story of the Sixties Generation in Canada" and "No Kidding: Inside the World of Teenage Girls". Bohdan Drawchenko has also edited "Ukrainian Past, Ukrainian Present".