About Under This Unbroken Sky and Shandi Mitchell

[januttall]

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love2readSZ wrote:
A book with a time and a place is more my speed.  Intriguing.

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I was thinking the same exact thing!

julie

[Sunltcloud]

Ah, reality! Consequences of historical events. Implications of an era. Problems linked to migration. Sounds promising.

[debbook]

This seems different than my usual read, but it looks good and I look forward to it.

[MSaff]

This story sounds like something I can really sink my teeth into.  I am looking forward to both reading and discussing this novel.

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PaulH wrote:

Evocative and compelling, rich in imagination and atmosphere, Under this Unbroken Sky is a beautifully wrought debut from a gifted new novelist.

Spring 1938. After nearly two years in prison for the crime of stealing his own grain, Ukrainian immigrant Theo Mykolayenko is a free man. While he was gone, his wife, Maria, their five children, and his sister, Anna, struggled to survive on the harsh northern Canadian prairie, but now Theo-a man who has overcome drought, starvation, and Stalin's purges--is determined to make a better life for them. As he tirelessly clears this untamed land, Theo begins to heal himself and his children. But the family's hopes and newfound happiness are short-lived. Anna's rogue

husband, the arrogant and scheming Stefan, unexpectedly returns, stirring up rancor and discord that will end in violence and tragedy.

Under this Unbroken Sky is a mesmerizing tale of love and greed, pride and desperation, that will resonate long after the last page is turned. Shandi Mitchell has woven an unbearably suspenseful story, written in a language of luminous beauty and clarity. Rich with fiery conflict and culminating in a gut-wrenching climax, this is an unforgettably powerful novel from a passionate new voice in contemporary literature.

Shandi Mitchell is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter. Her short films have screened at numerous international festivals, and she is a recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts endowment. Mitchell spent her childhood on a military base on the prairies and now makes her home in Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada, with her husband, Alan, and their dog, Annie. Under This Unbroken Sky is her first novel.

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[floreader]

Sounds great!  I predict another lively FL discussion.

[Sunltcloud]

What I love about this kind of book is the endless amount of historical and cultural documentation that can be absorbed before the book even arrives at my doorstep.

I already read several websites that deal with the Soviet takeover of the Ukraine, the genocide that took place (millions died of starvation), and then the anti-foreign sentiment in Canada during the years of the second wave of Ukrainian immigration when Ukrainians seem to have belonged to the "non-preferred" group of immigrants. Add to this internal strive - two religious groups, Catholic and orthodox - cultural adaptation, unemployment, family tragedy and the imagery of an author who is a film maker and this looks like a total winner.  

 Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

I assume the book will come by Canada goose instead of pigeon this time?

[Paul_Hochman]

Yea. We'll have a lot to cross reference history-wise with this one.

If I can persuade her, Shandi might even share some historical photographs that speak volumes of the time period and the story itself. Stay tuned...

This is some rough terrain we'll be plowing so delivery may come via an Ox.

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Sunltcloud wrote:

What I love about this kind of book is the endless amount of historical and cultural documentation that can be absorbed before the book even arrives at my doorstep.

I already read several websites that deal with the Soviet takeover of the Ukraine, the genocide that took place (millions died of starvation), and then the anti-foreign sentiment in Canada during the years of the second wave of Ukrainian immigration when Ukrainians seem to have belonged to the "non-preferred" group of immigrants. Add to this internal strive - two religious groups, Catholic and orthodox - cultural adaptation, unemployment, family tragedy and the imagery of an author who is a film maker and this looks like a total winner.  

 Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell

I assume the book will come by Canada goose instead of pigeon this time?

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[vivico1]

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januttall wrote:

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love2readSZ wrote:
A book with a time and a place is more my speed. Intriguing.

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I was thinking the same exact thing!

julie

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Ditto and ditto! I wouldn't even mind if it were ...Space, stardate 2304.5 lol. But this sounds like some historical fiction and I have come to love that through doing B&N clubs. I would love to see a suspense thriller in here sometime too. And as someone else mentioned,maybe we are putting witchcraft, magic and fantasy aside this time. There did seem to be a theme going there for three months huh. But a bit of something for everyone if you wait and watch! Cool!

[Ronrose]

Sounds like an interesting book. I'm signing up!

[Mommy-Read-Wri…]

This sounds like a very interesting book.  The description made me think of a novel by John Steinbeck.  He is one of my favorite authors - so that's saying a lot from me.

I'm really looking forward to this one!

[Read-n-Rider]

I did enjoy Of Bees and Mist, but this really sounds more like my kind of book--I love historical novels!

Joan

[Coral50]

I look forward to reading this story taking place in Spring of 1938, and how it is crafted. Again Thank you, Shandi, for sharing.

Cora

[Sunltcloud]

Oh, oh! An ox? I hope he can run. California highways are full of impatient drivers. I'll be watching to see who eats oxtail soup.

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PaulH wrote in part:

This is some rough terrain we'll be plowing so delivery may come via an Ox.

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Sunltcloud wrote in part:

I assume the book will come by Canada goose instead of pigeon this time?

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[artist4nature]

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Sunltcloud wrote:

Oh, oh! An ox? I hope he can run. California highways are full of impatient drivers. I'll be watching to see who eats oxtail soup.

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PaulH wrote in part:

This is some rough terrain we'll be plowing so delivery may come via an Ox.

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Sunltcloud wrote in part:

I assume the book will come by Canada goose instead of pigeon this time?

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I have loads of Canadian geese landing in the pond near my house -  I put out the word to them to get ready to go to work!!!

[babzilla41]

I can't wait to sink into this one!! Sounds great....now if only oxen moved faster...

[nadine1]

This reminds me of Rachel Calof's Story, a biography of a homesteader in North Dakota from 1894 until about 1917, which I read for another book club. 

Although I enjoyed reading Of Bees and Mist, I am looking forward to reading a book with a more definitive setting - time, place, mood, etc. 

[mv5ocean]

Yes I see a complete departure from the last couple of reads...........but I'm excited to dig into this one. Noticed someone else mentioned Steinbeck novel.......funny but my first thought was Grapes of Wrath........lol

Think this sounds of a MUCH more serious nature and certainly a struggle to survive time period......

Can't wait!

[crimekitty763]

This sounds like a book I would enjoy.  I could not get interested in BEES OF THE MIST but this sounds like a book I want to read.

[KarebearX116]

This sounds like nothing that I have read for 'fun' before... yet I am trying to keep an open mind since the last First Look (my first) was so well chosen. I too have flocks of Canadian geese in my area... I guess I will be awaiting their delivery.

[readslots4]

The setting of the Canadian prairie really draws me in, not to mention the story description!  I'm really looking forward to reading this book!