In this moving, coming-of-age novel set in the heart of Eastern Europe during the years between the World Wars, a random act of violence by local anti-Semitic thugs casts Wolchi, a trusting and superstitious teenage boy, and Leja, his bookish but independent older sister, on a life-changing journey through a world gone mad.
The story unfolds over 15 years in the small towns of Western Ukraine, the urban sophistication of 1930s Krakow, and a wartime Soviet Union. A flawed, but loving Jewish family struggles with daily indignities - and its own betrayals and secrets - until WW II begins and they are shattered.
To survive, Wolchi goes to work in a Russian war factory, and Leja joins partisans fighting the Nazis. When they return home at war's end, hardened and pragmatic, the evil that murdered their family members was still walking the streets. That's when they knew: Vengeance was the key to their future.
With crisp prose and an eye for unique detail, The Days Before Tomorrow captures untold history and human complexity in a way that will linger long after the last page is read.
Industry Reviews
Must read ï½ï½ï½ï½
"A masterful tale of love, conflict, and revenge depicting a young man's journey to adulthood in war torn Central Europe."
--Reedsy Discovery
"An epic tale, told with great care, like a mural painted with a fine-tip brush, a blend of past and present. It's a remarkable debut novel."
- Don Tassone, author of Francesca: A Novel
"Readers of this book will appreciate the endurance of the human spirit, and its ability to rise against all odds and over all obstacles to find love and peace in a tumultuous world."
-- Jon Pepper, author of the Fossil Feuds series and Missy's Twitch
"An often riveting work of historical fiction, The Days Before Tomorrow is set in Western Ukraine in the years spanning the period between WWI and WWII. Hass centers the story on both the personal struggles of siblings Wolchi and Leja as well as the broader conflicts unfolding in their communities and the world at-large. . . They are both well-drawn, as are their parents and home life, and the author provides them with an emotionally satisfying ending."
-- The BookLife Prize