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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Erin Litteken, who earned a bachelor’s in history from the College of Arts and Sciences in fall 2003, has published a heart-wrenching novel that uncovers the horrors of the Holodomor, a man-made terror famine instigated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin which led to the death of nearly four million Ukrainians in 1932-1933. As fate would have it, the book’s publication coincides with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, much to the shock of readers and Litteken alike.

Featured on Fortune Magazine's “10 New Page-Turning Novels You Should Read This Summer” list alongside authors such as John Grisham and Stacey Abrams, “The Memory Keeper of Kyiv” has been translated into 13 languages. The captivating historical fiction is Litteken’s debut novel, inspired by the stories told by her late great-grandmother, a Ukrainian refugee.

“The stories she told, the pictures on her wall, the momentos she had from her life in Ukraine all mesmerized me,” Litteken said. “I wanted to know more, so as I got older, I began researching the history behind her stories, trying to fill in the blanks and answer the questions I was too young to realize I should have asked before she died. I’d always toyed with the idea of writing a novel inspired by these family stories, but the further back I researched into Ukraine’s history, the more I learned about the full scope of the Holodomor.”

Her search for truth led to more grisly details about the tragedy.

“It wasn’t a natural famine; there were no bug infestations, diseased crops, or weather-related issues,” she noted. “Stalin orchestrated it to devastate Ukrainians and their resistance to his collectivized farming plan. With specific directives such as locking down villages to block food from coming in, passport systems barring people from travel, sending out teams to violently remove every bit of food from homes, and closing the country’s borders—he effectively turned Ukraine into a giant death camp.”

Litteken explores the Ukrainian story through different characters to paint a portrait of strength and resilience in the face of the starvation that was inflicted on a self-determined people. For a mother of two, juggling her talent with a part-time job, this literary undertaking took 10 years to accomplish. Without the slightest expectation, it culminated during a similarly turbulent time for Ukraine.

“After burying myself in this tragic history for so many years, it’s surreal to see another version of it happening again now,” she said. “My research and relationship with my great-grandmother gave me such an appreciation for the strength and bravery of the Ukrainian people. I wasn’t surprised at all to see how fiercely they’re fighting or how united they are in their desire for independence. Unfortunately, this is not a new struggle for Ukraine; they’ve been fighting various versions of the Russian government for their autonomy for centuries.”

Fiona Valpy, author of the Dressmaker’s Gift, who reviewed the book, said, “This beautifully written snapshot of Ukraine’s history is both timely and heart-rending, sensitively bringing to life the culture of a nation devastated by an enemy invader. How shocking it is that it’s a history that’s being repeated today. And how important a reminder that where there’s life, there’s hope.”

Litteken drew upon the research skills learned through her history classes for the writing process.

“I still have a paper I wrote for my historical methods class focusing on my family’s journey out of Ukraine during World War II,” she said. “[My professor] wrote, ‘This story could be a movie!’ on the cover page and, while it won’t be a movie, those family stories will heavily influence my second novel coming out in 2023.”

Reimagining the Holodomor and Stalin’s regime through the writing journey was painful for Litteken. She stepped away from her research and took many breaks in the process. She found it difficult to read about people eating worms, grass and tree bark to survive or being shot or arrested for taking a handful of the grain from the fields they sowed and reaped. The novel is based on a constant battle to balance that grief with hope.

Litteken views the current conflict in Ukraine as part of a long history of struggle for survival and independence – a battle generations of Ukrainians have fought in different ways.

 Litteken’s publisher has pledged to donate a share of proceeds from her book to charities helping Ukraine, with some of her foreign publishers have made a similar commitment. Find “The Memory Keeper of Kyiv” on Amazon.

Photo: Erin Litteken, SIUE alumna and author of The Memory Keeper of Kyiv.