Events

Book Launch with Michael Cherkas

BOOK LAUNCH: THE RED HARVEST BY MICHAEL CHERKAS

Delve into the historical-fiction masterpiece that sheds light on the Holodomor, a tragic chapter in Ukrainian history, during which at least 4 million Ukrainians lost their lives in the early ’30s under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin’s regime. Cherkas, a Ukrainian-Canadian author renowned for “The Silent Invasion,” masterfully weaves together true stories and historical accounts to illustrate this dark period. The terror famine was the result of the Soviet Communist Party’s forced collectivization, which targeted Ukrainian peasants, leading to the confiscation of their property, livestock, and crops. As we witness the unfolding horrors in the current Ukrainian war, it’s essential to remember this prior Russian aggression.

Cherkas’s journey to create this graphic novel began in 2008 when a colleague with Ukrainian roots approached him about doing a graphic novel about the Holodomor. The project gained momentum during the 2020 pandemic, leading to its completion just before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Through the lens of protagonist Mykola Kovalenko, a Ukrainian immigrant to Canada and famine survivor, Cherkas vividly illustrates the cost of resisting Stalin and the ruling Communist Party. Kovalenko’s memories transport us to a time when Ukrainian families and villagers struggled not only to comprehend the war waged against them but also to survive.

Don’t miss this eye-opening event featuring “Red Harvest,” hailed by Publishers Weekly as a Top 10 Fall Adult Comics & Graphic Novels pick.

A Q&A session will follow the discussion. Click here to register.