A Small, Stubborn Town: Life, death and defiance in Ukraine – ‘The mesmerising story of how in the face of a mighty army, ordinary people can say "No."' Mail on Sunday

Product Information

It's a very gentle frog's-eye view of a total war, with loving portraits of the people who are overlooked at the best of times: people who had fallen through the cracks of history and welfare networks, living with passports of a country that collapsed more than 30 years ago. Very sad and terrifying at times - it doesn't hold too many punches when it comes to the realities of war. Fiona Hill (Russia expert and author of “There Is Nothing For You Here): “Fascinating, vivid, often harrowing, and also deeply moving. In a poignant scene, a Ukrainian mother, Anna, collected what was left of her 21-year-old son Serhii, torn apart by a tank shell.

Mail on Sunday: “A mesmerising story of how in the face of a might army, ordinary people can sometimes turn and simply say, ‘No. Andrey Kurkov (Ukrainian author of “Grey Bees”): It would be wonderful if the story told in this beautiful little book were the author's invention. On the morning of Wednesday 2 March 2022, an armoured personnel carrier clattered into her yard, knocking over her favourite pear tree. If Russian troops could capture Voznesensk, and its small, strategic bridge, then they might be able to seize the whole Black Sea Coast and end the war in days. Reporter Andrew Harding tells the story of the small Ukrainian town Voznesensk during the initial stages of the Russian invasion in March 2022.Arkady Ostrovsky (Journalist and podcaster - “Next Year in Moscow): “A captivating tale of one Ukrainian town, a microcosm of war and a heartening story of people’s defiance, ingenuity and spirit. But also, people sinking low, pulled into the grey zone of the past Soviet and current Russian occupation. This short punchy account of a few days in the now interminable invasion by Putin of Ukraine is fascinating on many levels. Harding’s fine book points to why Ukraine has outperformed expectations in Washington and London, continues to fight on, and may just win this 21st-century David v Goliath struggle. One day soon when the war is over, I look forward to watching the movie based on the events depicted in this book!

Looking at different perspectives, we see how grandmas, young alcoholics, Russian soldiers, and Ukrainian defenders all respond. In March 2022, one week after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a small farming town in the south of the country became the unlikely focus of the Kremlin’s attention.A bunch of pot-bellied, tracksuit-wearing, down-on-their-luck guys, aka territorial defense volunteers in the full-scale war, stand over a makeshift trench at the outskirts of their tiny town. But at the core of it, it's a very gentle and kind book in a panorama of events that are decidedly short on gentleness and kindness, and you got to appreciate that. Its people are indomitable and unyielding, brave and determined, savvy and funny when the chips are down. A short but brilliant book, Harding tells the story of Voznesensk, the small, southern Ukrainian farm that fought off the Russian Army's invasion in March 2022, facing down unbelievable odds, and winning. Lindsey HIlsum (Channel Four News): “This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm.