The Lost Year
Author: Katherine Marsh
Separated from his journalist father during COVID, Matthew, 13, discovers a deeply-held family secret about his great-grandmother’s life in Ukraine during the 1930s Holodomor famine. Back matter.
“The Lost Year is a historical fiction coming-of-age story told through three entwining timelines. It is at the top of my “best books of 2023″ list.
The story occurs in the early 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and the 1930s Holodomor in Soviet-occupied Ukraine. Inspired by the author’s family history, the story connects a shared experience of stress, isolation, and survival through the perspectives of a 13-year-old American boy, Matthew, and his Ukrainian Grandmother.
The themes of resilience, discovery, family, and empathy begin when Matthew is homebound and separated from family due to the pandemic. After discovering a family photo belonging to his Grandmother, he explores the past with her through the parallel narratives of Mila, a wealthy teen in Soviet Ukraine, and Helen, the daughter of a displaced Ukrainian immigrant, re-building a life in Brooklyn, New York.
The timing of this book is perfect. Current tragedies are deeply rooted in historical events that are challenging for kids and teens to understand. The Lost Year is a timely and exciting novel that gives kids some backstory into the current global conflict. Marsh has written a book that provides a relatable lens, drawing on our experience as kids during the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 and connecting the emotions of isolation and fear many people experienced. Recognizing history and connecting it to current events through incredible plot development is the greatest strength of this story.”
–Quade, age 14, Encinitas, CA.
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