This is such an amazing book! Granted, it's advisable to have a pack of tissues while you read. Most of these stories are real tear-jerkers. But it is a profound book. I really appreciate how all these authors have come together to explore the experiences of children trapped in war. It is something we see too little of. This really is a beautiful way to honour the tragedies so many people live through.
I like how the multi-genre nature of this book shows that it doesn't matter through which lens you look at this issue, it can be explored profoundly and poignantly. War is war. It leads to horrible atrocities. And it forces people into behaviours and reactions that are not ideal for their future well-being. As humans, we rationalise the experiences we have, but sometimes those rationalisations are wrong. Nevertheless, they will inform our future actions for years to come. Every story in this anthology embodies this in beautiful, powerful and emotive ways. Honouring the experiences of the most vulnerable and giving voice to what children are faced with in wartime is something we so rarely stop to think about. War is terrible. We try to forget about it. But then how can we stop the tragedies from being perpetuated with each new war? This book is so important! And I am grateful to these authors for giving voice to these issues. Awareness is the first step towards engendering change.
The stories are beautifully written and well edited, something I think deserves mentioning as I've read so many anthologies that are not edited to a level I find conducive to enjoyable reading. Additionally, the presentation of this anthology is also visually breathtaking. There are hauntingly beautiful illustrations and even fact pages about real stats involving children in wartime. I also really liked the flow of the stories. I think the authors went to a lot of effort to choose the order of stories to make this into a well-rounded book that is easy and enjoyable to read. And let's not forget this cover! It's amazing. It says everything this book is about. Beautiful heartache and brutal truth.
And, as if that weren't enough, this is also a charity set. The authors are donating their profits from the sales of this book towards helping the children of Ukraine with their healing from the traumatic experiences they are faced with as a result of Russia's invasion. If for no other reason, GET THIS BOOK!
