Prisoners in the Promised Land : The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk, Spirit Lake, Quebec, 1914 [Hardcover]

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Canada, Limited; First Edition edition (2007)
• ISBN-10: 0439956927
• ISBN-13: 978-0439956925
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,061,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children and young adults. She has written more novels about the Armenian genocide than any other author in the English speaking world, yet she is not Armenian. "I write about people who must give up everything that is dear to them and travel to a new country. To me, these people are heroic."

Marsha tricked her teachers into thinking she knew how to read until it all caught up with her in grade 4 when she failed the provincial reading exam. Adding insult to injury, they made her repeat the year. As the tallest and oldest kid in the class, she didn't want to be seen learning to read with little skinny books and she was too proud to ask for help, so she taught herself how to read by taking out the fattest book in the children's section of the Brantford Public Library -- Oliver Twist. She kept on renewing it for a whole year. Reading that book was a turning point in her life. She decided that she loved reading, and wanted to write too.

Marsha loves speaking with students of all ages, especially those who are struggling academically or who feel "different".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Chronicles Events Leading to the Canadian Internment of Ukrainians & Others During World War I-a School Curriculum/Library Must!, March 21, 2011

By 

Yaroslava Benko "Mandrivnyk" (Arlington Heights, IL - USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prisoners in the Promised Land : The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk, Spirit Lake, Quebec, 1914 (Hardcover)

Award-winning Ukrainian-Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch once again presents a well-written, well-documented historical fiction, which is enthralling, educational, and deserving of further reference and thought.

Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk was published by Scholastic Canada Ltd. in 2007 as part of the Dear Canada Series, which "invites readers into the intimate worlds of girls throughout different times in Canadian history. The ongoing series showcases Canada's most distinguished children's authors who recreate some of the most dramatic events from our diverse history."

Albeit a fictional diary of a fictional character, nonetheless, Prisoners in the Promised Land describes events which happened to actual people and is based on actual historical events. The characters themselves are fictional except for six real people: Mr. Foster, Ivan Gregoraszczuk, Father Redkevych, Pte. Palmer, Father Perepelytsia, and author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's grandfather, Yurij Feschuk. Moreover, Grand Trunk Street in Montreal is real as is Horoshova a real village (selo) in Borschiv County, in Ternopil oblast/region, Ukraine; today, Horoshova is frequently referred to as the Tomato Capital of Ukraine.

That this is an actual diary is visually reinforced by the red fabric bookmark, which is part and parcel of this book. The cover is "dancing-boot" red, matching the red bookmark, and shows an image of the fictional author of the diary, a twelve-year old Ukrainian girl named Anya Soloniuk. She receives her diary on the day of her names day in February, 1914, from her tato (father), who has temporarily left his family in Horoshova, Ukraine to go to Montreal, Canada to prepare them for their journey to their new country. The reference to "dancing-boot" red is to the color of leather boots worn by Ukrainian dancers. Ukrainian dance is fast-paced, energetic, and entertaining, and along with pysanky (traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs), is a characteristic example of Ukrainian culture instantly recognized and highly appreciated worldwide.

As most diaries have, this one also has, a page stating the owner of the journal: Anya Soloniuk, Village of Horoshova, Borschiv County, Crownland of Galicia, Austria-Hungary, April 13, 1914. In 1914, Ukraine was under the control of Austria-Hungary, and hence, the reference to Austria-Hungary although the village is actually in Ukraine. As one of my neighbors once told me, during wartime's constantly changing regimes and boundaries, it was possible for three people to have been born in the same house, yet, technically, have been born in three different countries. So, although the village of Horoshova was technically in Austria-Hungary, the ancestral lands were Ukrainian.

The diary entries span the dates of April 13, 1914 through July 21, 1916 (Anya is twelve through fourteen); however, an eight-page Epilogue carries the stories of the characters forward and enhances our knowledge of their lives after internment.

Following the Epilogue, is a section entitled, Historical Note, which is comprised of nine pages of text and eleven pages with black-and-white archival images showing sixteen photos documenting history and reality.

A two-page Glossaries section describes words encountered within the diary in Ukrainian, German, and Irish. Two maps supplement text within the diary: 1) Europe in 1914 as World War I began, with shaded areas showing Ukraine's boundaries in 1991; 2) Canada with twenty-four internment camps where Ukrainians and other internees were held.

A two-page Acknowledgments section describes the cover portrait and background in addition to the captions for the sixteen images in the Historical Note section. Special thanks are also given in this section to various people who helped with the preparation of this book. The cover portrait is a detail from: Young Galician immigrants holding envelope labeled "Red Star Line." Saint John, NB. May, 1905, Library and Archives Canada, C-063254. The cover background: Officer standing at train station with gun resting on his shoulder, watching as train approaches the station, R. Palmer/Library and Archives Canada, PA-170402.

Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (member, Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) has been a keynote speaker; a panelist; a Writer in Residence at St. John's Kilmarnock School, 2004-5; taught at the Maritime Writers' Workshop in July 2003; and, has been nominated for numerous awards, including: in 2007, CLA Canadian Children's Book of the Year Award finalist and nominee for the 2007 Silver Birch Express Award, Aram's Choice; in 2006, BC Stellar Award nomination for Nobody's Child; in 2004, Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award nomination for Hope's War; in 2002, Nominated for the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize for her body of work and mentorship of other writers; in 2006, named Canadian Ukrainian Woman of Influence by the World Congress of Ukrainian Women's Organizations; and, in 2001, recipient of Resource Links `Best of the Best 2001' in picture book category for `Enough.'

Additionally, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is editor of `Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories (`Kobzar's Children')' and contributor of two of its stories. Please see my review of that book, as well as my reviews of Ms. Skrypuch's other fine children's books, Enough and Silver Threads, which are picture books.

Canadian school children should learn of the over twenty internment camps that were set up across Canada during World War I. "Thousands of innocent Ukrainians (up to 5,000) and other Europeans were imprisoned as `enemy aliens.' These were men, women and children who had done no wrong, but were hated because of where they had come from. They were forced to do heavy labor, and their personal belongings were taken." It wasn't until two years after World War I ended that the government of Canada shut down these internment camps. The author's grandfather, George Forchuk, was interned at Jasper in 1914, and was an inspiration for this story--and, together with his wife, Anna, he was an inspiration for yet another story by award-winning Ukrainian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Silver Threads, recipient of an Ontario Library Association Best Bet and nominated for the Amelia Frances-Howard Gibbon Award (please see my review of that fine book, too).

Update: August 12, 1995, a plaque and monument were unveiled at Castle Mountain Internment Camp; and on June 1, 1996, Parks Canada placed three trilingual plaques at Cave & Basin, Banff National Park. On October 12, 1996, a plaque and monument were unveiled at Jasper National Park. Photos and more information are available on the website of InfoUkes.

Recommended for all with hearty five stars plus--not just for children, and not just for Canadians--Prisoners in the Promised Land: The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk is a wonderfully told story and a fine addition to every library.

Addendum: Children may enjoy other books on Ukrainian topics, which I've reviewed--many of them have images taken by me in Ukraine. There are currently over twenty books listed on my Listmania list entitled, "Children's Corner--for the Young and the Young at Heart..." Sometimes, there are several editions of one book, so be sure to find the ones with a review by Mandrivnyk.

To learn more about things Ukrainian, visit the Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Readers, you're also invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos (with notes) that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted. Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject.

Additionally, both kids and adults will find it to be enjoyable and educational to learn the names and locations of the regions/oblasts of Ukraine and test their knowledge by solving the Interactive Puzzle map. Please see my comment below this review for further information.

Moreover, to view excellent slideshows of the 25 regions (24 oblasts and one autonomous republic) of Ukraine (you may even set the length of the slideshow), please see my comment below this review.