My book The Rooster House was published yesterday by Virago Press. It’s being released during a trying time for my country. Even though its story begins in 2014, my book explains the context in which the Russian invasion takes place. It does so by focusing on ordinary people and their voices. While the book recounts Ukrainian history through a personal story, it celebrates four generations of remarkable women who held our family together through the most trying circumstances. As The Rooster House reveals, Ukrainian history is full of tragic events, but it is also a testament to the resilience and strength of Ukrainians. My great-grandmother Asya and my grandmother Valentina possessed incredible emotional resources, which made them able to protect their family and take care of their land.
As I wrote my memoir, I sought to capture my grandmothers’ lessons in seeking beauty and deriving support from creative pursuits like embroidery or gardening. For this reason, Ukrainian culture and art form the leitmotif of The Rooster House, and I take the reader on a journey with me through descriptions of Ukrainian scents, foods, nature, and arts. My memoir is an invitation to stroll through our cherry orchard in Bereh and become more intimately familiar with the elements that make up the colorful and diverse Ukrainian identity.
Unveiling my grandmothers’ stories made it possible for me to become inspired anew by their courage and passion for life, and I hope that the same will hold true for my readers. My great-grandmother Asya used to say, “Seek beauty and create,” and her message remains as relevant as ever.
Finally, I also wanted to share a few early reviews of the book.
The Guardian: The Rooster House by Victoria Belim review – secrets and lies in Ukraine. The review details how the story unfolds, so I suggest that you read the first three paragraphs in order to avoid spoilers.
The Irish Examiner: The Rooster House: a powerful memoir that takes in Ukraine’s story. The article also includes photos of my family and Bereh.
The Independent. “This is an honest, insightful and passionate book, that provides a beautiful insight into a nation beyond war headlines.”
The Rooster House is also included into Waterstones’ Best Books for May, at the top of the biography category. They described it as “emotionally shattering yet utterly unputdownable, Belim’s search to find out what happened to her great-grandfather’s brother in 1930s Ukraine is a haunting work of research and revelation.” Very grateful for such kind words and I look forward to sharing my book with you.
The Rooster House is now available for order at Virago, Waterstones, Amazon. You can also pre-order the US edition (out this June) on Amazon or Bookshop.org.
For more information about my book and its translated versions, please take a look at My Book page. I will update it as the new translations are released.
40 Comments
Julie Zam: Huge congratulations! What an achievement! Very well deserved. I’m very interested to read it. May 19, 2023 at 9:31am
Victoria: Thank you very much! May 24, 2023 at 3:40am
Jordan River: Reading it now in New Zealand.
It’s 1:35am and I am 51% of the way through this engaging mystery. I had to take a break and order a green Vyshyvanka, something I had no knowledge of previously. Lots to absorb and learn along the way which is only to be expected from this very particular writer. May 19, 2023 at 9:39am
Victoria: Thank you so much. I’m so glad that you are enjoying the food. May 24, 2023 at 3:42am
Nose Prose: “Seek beauty and create” – wonderful advice. I am looking forward to my copy arriving. What are the differences between the US and other editions? May 19, 2023 at 10:19am
Victoria: Just the cover is different. In some cases, the translated editions have different titles. May 24, 2023 at 3:42am
Aprilbaby: Heartfelt congratulations, Victoria. Wonderful achievement. Look forward to getting a look. May 19, 2023 at 10:28am
Victoria: Thank you very much! May 24, 2023 at 3:43am
Trudy: I am in California and so I will pre-order this for the US June release. I cannot wait to read this book. May 19, 2023 at 10:30am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Trudy! May 24, 2023 at 3:43am
Kathy: I’ve placed my US pre-order at my local bookstore. The representative said they would get The Rooster House on June 27th. It occurred to me that you probably worked very closely on the translations to various languages, and how interesting it would be for you to visit the Rooster House though those languages. May 19, 2023 at 10:33am
Victoria: I’m so glad to hear it.
The process of translation is definitely fascinating. May 24, 2023 at 3:45am
Brenda Benson: I can’t wait to read your beautiful book and just pre-ordered your book. We adopted our son from Ukraine as a 2 year old (he is 23 now) and so the invasion of Ukraine has been so close to our heart. Thank you. May 19, 2023 at 10:38am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Brenda! May 24, 2023 at 3:45am
Anne Crow: Congratulations. I pre-ordered, looking forward to reading it. May 19, 2023 at 10:44am
Victoria: Thank you very much! May 24, 2023 at 3:46am
Madeleine Resener: Hi Victoria,
I would love to order your book but find only the Kindle version on Amazon. May 19, 2023 at 11:06am
Victoria: Please check the links I posted. The US paper version will be released in late June. May 19, 2023 at 11:58am
Denise: Congratulations! I’ve been reading your blog for years and can’t wait to delve into this new book. May 19, 2023 at 11:09am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Denise! May 24, 2023 at 3:46am
Maria: I have just ordered it. So much looking forward to reading it. May 19, 2023 at 12:17pm
Victoria: Thank you very much! I hope that you enjoy it. May 24, 2023 at 3:46am
Aurora: I have stopped by my local bookshop two days ago and ordered The Rooster House, so sometime next week I will get it, I can hardly wait. It made me realize that I have a small collection of Virago books. May 19, 2023 at 12:27pm
Victoria: Thank you very much!
I have always been a fan of Virago, so it means a lot to me that my book is published by them. May 24, 2023 at 3:47am
OperaFan: Congratulations, Victoria!
I’m eagerly awaiting my copy to be mailed to me. 🙂 May 19, 2023 at 12:41pm
Victoria: Thank you very much! May 24, 2023 at 3:48am
Figuier: Congratulations Victoria, what an achievement! Have irdered this and can’t wait to read it! May 20, 2023 at 6:43am
Victoria: Thank you very much! May 24, 2023 at 3:48am
Michele Davis: You have always given us glimpses of Ukrainian culture in your blogs. If this book’s words are as exquisite as your sensory blog writing, I’ll be very happy. Cant wait to read. Congratulations. May 21, 2023 at 8:09pm
Victoria: Thank you very much, Michele. May 24, 2023 at 3:49am
paolo: Congratulations! It’s on my list. Will it be available as e-book? May 22, 2023 at 2:25am
Victoria: Yes, definitely! May 22, 2023 at 3:08am
Marie Mompezat: Congratulations on your book , Victoria, I’ve been following your blog for a few years, now. I would love to read your book in my native language which is French , but it seems it hasn’t been translated in this language yet. ?
Love from Brazil . May 22, 2023 at 11:50am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Marie. There is no French translation yet, but there is a Portuguese one. May 22, 2023 at 11:58am
Bregje: Ordered it! Will arrive tomorrow. I can hardly wait to read more about Asya. And i hope to share it with familymembers so i chose the dutch version. I was a little disappointed that the title wasn’t a literal translation😉 but very curious about the story. May 22, 2023 at 1:38pm
Victoria: Thank you very much! I hope that you enjoy reading my book.
The publishers decide on the titles and covers themselves, so I didn’t have much say about it. May 24, 2023 at 3:51am
Dita: I’ve asked my husband to buy me a copy for my next birthday. I’ve read your blog on and off over the years – always very alluring. I remember reading about your family’s Ukrainian cottage and feeling very jealous. I live in Australia and there’s no “family home” in my family or my husband’s. We ourselves rent. Trying to find a way to “be at home” has been the story of my life. I can’t wait to read your family’s story. May 25, 2023 at 12:11am
Victoria: Thank you very much! I hope that you enjoy it. September 29, 2023 at 3:43am
Anca: I enjoyed your book a lot (you can see my short review in the link below).
I would have liked to see pictures from Ukraine, with the Rooster house and from your travels. It might worth considering for future books, if you plan to write more. September 29, 2023 at 3:25am
Victoria: Thank you very much, Anca. I will post more photos from Ukraine. September 29, 2023 at 3:42am