Book Review: The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

The Woman at the Gates by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a historical novel set in the Ukraine during World War 2 and their subsequent resettlement in their country after the war ended. The storyline is based upon diaries and recollections collected from Chrystyna’s relatives.

The novel follows the life of Antonia Kozak, formerly a University lecturer turned resistance fighter and her extended family, the Mazur as she is taken into a concentration camp by the Gestapo, not knowing whether Victor, her fiancé, is alive or dead to their ultimate relocation to the US after the War had ended. 

The book has so many themes and the reader can imagine through the retelling of the memories the horrors that the Mazur family and other Ukrainian families went through. Antonia isn’t always a likeable character but she is a strong character, determined to fight for her family. I won’t say it’s an enjoyable read because it’s about a family’s suffering but it is an interesting read that I would recommend. 

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted