About the Book:

Maria is an 18-year-old Ukrainian Jewish girl whose classmate sold her out to the Nazis. After witnessing her family and neighbors executed, and convinced there is no hope for her, a distraught and terrified Maria decides to end her life, only to find another girl who is about to do the same. This chance encounter causes the girls to form a survival pact, committing to taking care of each other and staying alive together.

A sympathetic neighbor forges their paperwork to conceal their Jewish identity, leaving the girls safe, for now. But when Maria is kidnapped and enslaved in a German household, a young man from her hometown recognizes her, and threatens to reveal her Jewish identity. Now, it's up to Maria to protect not only herself but also the other enslaved women in the home from sexual assault and execution, making her question what it means to be a woman, and whether she wants to remain the "good girl" she was raised to be or become a Mutterbar - a mother bear and the protector of all the other enslaved women.

Based on a true story of the author's grandmother, this is a tale of female friendship, hope, and perseverance in the face of unimaginable horror.

A Note From the Author

I have wanted to share my grandmother's story since I was a small child. All four of my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. There are many reasons why I wanted to write this book: to share my grandmother's story, to give a voice to the millions of people who died in Ukraine, and to address the growing issue of antisemitism.

I've found that outside of Ukraine, most people don't know about the mass murders, the famine (the Holodomor), and the torture that Ukrainian people endured. I've also found that most people don't know about the Ostarbeiter, the forced enslavement of Ukrainian people during WWII. Many people don't know about the Babin Yar massacre, as well as many other massacres that took place in Ukraine.

As this book is being released, my home country of Ukraine enters its third year of bravely fighting off the horrific invasion from Russia. I've seen a tremendous amounts of parallels between what my grandparents experienced during WWII and what the people of Ukraine continue to go through. The spirit of Ukrainian people, the kindness so many of them showed during WWII (by risking their lives to hide Jewish people), and also the incredible courage that they show today, is truly unmatched. It is my dream that we will someday live in the world where we will not have to hide our identities, and where we will all be able to love and care for one another.

And above all, may there be peace.