Love in Defiance of Pain

 

Love in Defiance of Pain: Ukrainian Stories
Dallas, TX: Deep Vellum, c2022.

I recently read this as an ebooks, and really liked it. It's a collection of short stories by both established and newer Ukrainian writers (a list of all authors and translators can be found on the publisher's website). The paperback is available for sale at their website as well, at the price of $19.91 US -- that made me laugh as 1991 was the year that Ukraine declared its Independence from the SSR. 

Anyhow, there are 16 authors and many translators involved in this project, including some of my favourites like Oksana Zabuzhko and Katerina Babkina. I had already read a few of the stories, some of which appear in other collections by the authors but this gives a great overview of the different styles and themes of these writers. 

I think it's timely read, and one that will have something for everyone, from fantastical to historical to realist. I like to read short stories the way that Mavis Gallant recommends -- taking space between them and not reading them one after another like a novel. It was easy to set this down and think about the stories, and still really want to get back to the collection. Some of the stories are quite long, others fairly short -- it's a nice mix. 

This collection happens to be about Ukraine and Ukrainians but fits in with many of the topics that contemporary story writers in North America are also concerned with. They're modern, some playing with language, some with themes, but all worth your time to explore. Really recommend this one. 

The publisher also notes that for this book, "Proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine." Just one more reason to pick it up!