UKRAINE

Told with a dry, witty voice, this account traces Ukraine's difficult history up to the present day. The author strolls through Kyiv and meets the Rus' rulers, Cossack leaders and writers who shaped a distinct Ukrainian identity and helped awaken a sense of nationhood. Visits to old churches and monasteries show how their stones have watched the key moments of Ukrainian history, including the schism within Orthodox Christianity.

The book also dips into everyday life. Readers join Kyiv residents for Easter, listen to tales of romance and haunting, and taste the city's street food. Along the way it examines the damage done by Tsarist Russian policy, whose consequences lasted for generations, and the Soviet-era dictatorship and repression that still shape how many Ukrainians think about liberty.

The later chapters bring the reader close to the Euromaidan uprising, described as an eyewitness would see it. Throughout, the author's sharp, observant style brings out the country's landscape and people in close, concrete detail.