Genre Fiction
![Kalani Pickhart - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09BTK2RXR.jpg)
I Will Die in a Foreign Land
An ABA "Indie Next List" pick for November 2021.
"A debut that is as thoughtful as it is explosive." ―BuzzFeed
"Innovative, emotionally resonant, and deeply affecting." ―Kirkus, Starred
"It's a stunner." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred
In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Théâtre de Champs-Elysées. "Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. "Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad."
A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovych's failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians.
I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is an Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michael's Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wife's death; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano.
As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr's lives become intertwined, they each seek their own solace during an especially tumultuous and violent period. The story is also told by a chorus of voices that incorporates folklore and narrates a turbulent Slavic history.
While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy.
"A debut that is as thoughtful as it is explosive." ―BuzzFeed
"Innovative, emotionally resonant, and deeply affecting." ―Kirkus, Starred
"It's a stunner." ―Publishers Weekly, Starred
In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Théâtre de Champs-Elysées. "Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. "Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad."
A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovych's failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians.
I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is an Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michael's Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wife's death; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano.
As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr's lives become intertwined, they each seek their own solace during an especially tumultuous and violent period. The story is also told by a chorus of voices that incorporates folklore and narrates a turbulent Slavic history.
While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy.
Editorial Reviews
^ Author photo by Sydney Cisco.
I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ABA Indie Next List pick for November 2021!
"Camera-eye perspective of the Ukraine Euromaidan protests ― if John Dos Passos and John Reed joined Pussy Riot ― rich, variegated characters, tense plot. A must read for anyone inclined toward world literature."
―ABA Indie Next List: Conor Hultman, Square Books (Oxford, MS)
"A debut that is as thoughtful as it is explosive."
―Wendy J. Fox, BuzzFeed
"This novel spans a whole century, starting in 1913 with a ballet that starts a riot and picking up in 2013―which, TBH, feels like it was a hundred years from now. It's told from multiple perspectives and points in history, giving you a fully immersive experience that's perfect for a winter read."
―Adrianna Freedman & Leah Marilla Thomas, Cosmopolitan, "Best Historical Fiction Novels of 2021"
"I'd sure like to be a part of the decision-making process for the Pulitzer or the National Book Award right now. If I had any say in it, I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart would win. I don't say that lightly... The exploration of love and its many complicated facets is the driving force of I Will Die In a Foreign Land. The inciting incident is the protest and the desire for human rights and dignity inherent in that action, but I'd argue the real gem of the story is love. This may sound trite, but it's not―at least not in Pickhart's deft writerly hands."
―Mandy Shunnarah, Hot Off the Shelf
"Pickhart's characters are alive. You can almost touch them and hear their unique voices. She perfectly fleshes out the individuality of the major characters and those around them with such precision that no one speaks or thinks the same. The movements and decisions of the characters follow real events of the times, making the novel appear like a documentary. By doing this she captures the reader's interest, and a chronology of important events is listed in the book to help us better understand the flow of the narrative."
―Eunice Barbara Novio, Litro
