It is appropriately the burial place of the trail-blazing pioneers Iwan Pylypiw and Wasyl Eleniak, who landed in Quebec City in 1891 and settled with their families near Lamont, Alberta. Kalyna Country's Ukrainian history spans 10 decades, having been the home of many colorful personalities and prominent community leaders, including the first Ukrainians ever elected to provincial and federal parliaments. It seems rather contrived that this "slice of life" occurs over Easter weekend so that Frolick can introduce the characteristic Pysanka and Easter baskets. No real explanations are given for Anna's father's rages, her mother's complicity with Dotsia's schemes, or Dotsia's rather fickle mood swings. However, the characters are somewhat stereotyped and the book leaves one with a sense of incompleteness. The family's Ukrainian roots are evident on every page. During the course of the book, Anna's mother gives birth to a son, while Anna and her sister Dotsia come to a better understanding of each other. Nine-year-old Anna is the centre of this story, which depicts three days in 1942. Gloria Kupchenko Frolick has written for adults Anna Veryha is her first juvenile book.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |