Publication Date: February 18, 2025
Print Length: 303 pages
Previous Publications:
- Stories of Eka the Excavator (2021)
- Dom’s Dream Kingdom (2017)
- Somebody or Waterheart (2016)
- The Fall Syndrome of Homo Compatiens (2014)
SYNOPSIS
As war ravages Ukraine, writer Victoria Amelina set out to achieve justice for her country by documenting the war crimes that were being committed by the Russian occupiers.
Through her writing, Amelina details the heroism of the Ukrainian people as they struggle to survive despite unrelenting Russian attacks. Even as the chaos of war disrupts day-to-day life, Amelina charts how Ukrainians remain committed to preserving their country’s sovereignty. Her goal is to assure that even if her country loses the war, the Russians occupiers would be held accountable for killing innocent civilians, for leveling hospitals, schools and museums and for trying to erase Ukraine’s national identity.
Although Amelina was killed by a bomb explosion, a team of editors compiled her diary notes into a finished book. The result is a poignant depiction of the nightmare of war and the challenges entailed in assuring that justice will prevail.
REVIEWS AND AUTHOR INFORMATION
Donner, Rebecca, “She gathered evidence of war crimes. Then she became a victim of one.” The New York Times, February 21, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/books/review/looking-at-women-looking-at-war-victoria-amelina.html
Kirkus, “Looking at women looking at war, a war and justice diary.” Kirkus, February 18, 2025. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/victoria-amelina/looking-at-women-looking-at-war/
Wrong, Michela, “Looking at women looking at war – a chronicle cut short by Putin’s invasion.” Financial Times, February 6, 2025. https://www.ft.com/content/bf5b22f7-917e-4ee5-aabe-93e47154db04
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How well has Amelina depicted the fear, disruption and chaos that Ukrainian civilians are experiencing in their everyday lives?
In what ways has Amelina provided an historical context for the Russian aggression towards Ukraine? How is the current war connected to the famine of 1932 and the execution of dissident intellectuals in the 1960s?
How well has the editorial team been able to reconstruct Amelina’s book? Do the unfinished sections and editorial notations do justice to the book Amelina intended to write?
Amelina’s intent has been to promote justice by documenting the war crimes being committed in Ukraine. How likely is it that the documents compiled by the war crime investigators will result in justice for the Ukrainian people?
