BOOK NOTES: Historical novel tells story of families during World War II (08/06/06)

BOOK NOTES

Historical novel tells story of families during World War II

"Deep Wells, Burning Forests," by C.K. Lucyk. Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1-4120-6758-8. 336 pp. $30.42.

by Karen Bronshteyn

World War II remains the most intriguing war for scholarship and literary endeavors, with every story adding a dimension of both understanding and enigma. The historical novel "Deep Wells, Burning Forests," a first novel by C.K. Lucyk, artistically weaves the survival stories of three different families.

Avid readers of Holocaust literature will be particularly interested in reading about the Ukrainian experience, told through the dramatic and effective story line of four young adults from two different families, choosing their path to survival with strong nationalist sentiment and a vision for the political future of Ukraine, even though it would be easiest, and perhaps safest, to flee.

Parallel to their story is that of a successful artistic family with less interest in politics, and an even lower inclination to take up arms.

All strong characters with varying talents and abilities, their paths and stories intersect at various points, culminating in the convergence of their families in their new home and religious community in northeast Minneapolis.

The title refers to "policies," or crimes, committed by both Bolsheviks and Nazis: innocent victims found in various unlikely graves including wells; and entire villages, farmland and forests burned.

This novel differs from other World War II memoirs and historical fiction in that it depicts a controversial and not frequently discussed internal political struggle between followers of two different factions of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the complicated situation of having essentially three enemies: the Red Army, the Nazis and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, (UPA) all of which held Ukrainian soldiers forced by circumstance to fight against one another.

"Maksym felt repulsed and wanted to tear off his uniform and run. In Kiev, he had thought himself a witness of what hell would be like... But something worse was now tearing away at his soul, fragmenting it into unrecognizable pieces... Having put on that uniform of his, he had believed that he stood on the side of those who fought for God and who respected the human need for freedom... Now, it was clear that he had made a Faustian deal with the Germans" (p. 28).

The situation of those who survived the war by escaping to Europe is also depicted in detail, through the challenges of post-war statelessness, the unwilling repatriation of many Ukrainians to the Soviet Union, and the difficulties of displaced persons in obtaining visas for immigration to North and South America.

Ms. Lucyk, an English teacher, former journalist and daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, collected oral histories of Ukrainians in Minnesota, then conscientiously fact-checked and researched, and traveled extensively in order to write their story. The result is a novel rich with historical and geographical details, which includes even a background section, glossary and endnotes.

Ms. Lucyk explains that her impetus was a promise to tell the story of one survivor in particular, and implies that there are additional stories to tell. A marvelous storyteller and scholar to entrust with personal histories, her novel gives voice to a rarely heard but extraordinarily significant part of World War II.

The book may be ordered online at trafford.com/05-1669 or by calling the toll-free number 888-232-4444.

Karen Bronshteyn is reference librarian at the McIntyre Library and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

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