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The Orphanage

A Novel
By Serhiy Zhadan
Series: The Margellos World Republic of Letters
0.0 (0 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Orphanage by Serhiy Zhadan is set in a war-torn eastern Ukraine and follows a teacher, Pasha, who sets out on a perilous journey to rescue his nephew from an orphanage. As he navigates the dangerous landscape and encounters the complexities of conflict, he grapples with questions of identity, belonging, and the human cost of war. The novel offers a haunting exploration of the impact of violence on ordinary lives and communities.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this engrossing work of fiction if you're interested in immersive narratives that explore the complexities of life in conflict zones. The author's evocative storytelling and poignant depiction of human resilience in the face of adversity provide a profound insight into the human condition.

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A searing novel that excavates the human collateral damage wrought by the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A devastating story of the struggle of civilians caught up in the conflict in eastern Ukraine

Recalling the brutal landscape of The Road and the wartime storytelling of A Farewell to Arms, The Orphanage is a searing novel that excavates the human collateral damage wrought by the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. When hostile soldiers invade a neighbouring city, Pasha, a thirty-five-year-old Ukrainian language teacher, sets out for the orphanage where his nephew Sasha lives, now in occupied territory. Venturing into combat zones, traversing shifting borders, and forging uneasy alliances along the way, Pasha realises where his true loyalties lie in an increasingly desperate fight to rescue Sasha and bring him home.

Written with a raw intensity, this is a deeply personal account of violence that will be remembered as the definitive novel of the war in Ukraine.

Series: The Margellos World Republic of Letters

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Orphanage is a powerful depiction of the turmoil in Eastern Ukraine, brilliantly translated by Reilly Costigan‑Humes and Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler. Critics praise its vivid and lyrical prose, capturing both the sensory and visceral experiences of conflict. The book has been recognised with several accolades, including being shortlisted for the EBRD Literature Prize in 2022 and winning the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 2022 Literature Award.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300243017

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 April 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Contributors:

  • Translated by Reilly Costigan-Humes
  • Translated by Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler
  • Translated by Reilly Costigan-Humes

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 336

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Serhiy Zhadan Series: The Margellos World Republic of Letters

About the Author

Serhiy Zhadan, recipient of the 2022 Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought and the 2022 German Peace Prize, is widely considered to be one of the most important young writers in Ukraine. He has received several international literature prizes and has twice won BBC Ukraine’s Book of the Year award. His previous books include Mesopotamia and What We Live For, What We Die For: Selected Poems. Reilly Costigan‑Humes translates literature from the Ukrainian and Russian. Isaac Stackhouse Wheeler is a translator and poet.

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