Mail on Sunday: “A mesmerising story of how in the face of a might army, ordinary people can sometimes turn and simply say, ‘No.’”
Sunday Post: “A true-life thriller.”
The Observer: “This gripping story is the literary equivalent of a superb miniature painting. Each street-level detail illuminates a bigger truth.”
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. But alas, the story itself is pure truth. Andrew Harding's characters invite the reader into their daily struggle which we witness with awe and empathy. We are touched by their courage and dignity - qualities that the author must surely have possessed in equal measure to record these extraordinary events.”
Fiona Hill (Russia expert and author of “There Is Nothing For You Here): “Fascinating, vivid, often harrowing, and also deeply moving. Cinematic and gripping - a must read for anyone trying to grasp both the human dimension and larger dynamics of events in this brutal contemporary war.”
Christina Lamb: “The story of Ukraine in perfect microcosm - ordinary people doing absolutely extraordinary things - beautifully told.”
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. Originally reported and beautifully written.”
James Meek (author and journalist): “Harding’s terse, piercing book is a gripping description of a turning point in Russia’s assault on Ukraine, a story of extraordinary heroism by ordinary people in a small town, and an accessible, limpid account of what battle is actually like in this war, in all its tragic, absurd detail.
Lindsey HIlsum (Channel Four News): “This gripping account is the Russian invasion of Ukraine in microcosm.”
The New Voice of Ukraine: “A gripping account of why Ukraine managed to so effectively thwart Russia’s attempts to fully overrun its territory. The stories in its pages are a testimony to what can happen when a community dedicates itself not only to a cause, but also to its own survival. With snapshot clarity and a real-time narrative structure, it is a book that reminds readers that Ukrainians know for exactly what, and exactly why, they are fighting. It is, after all, a fight for their lives.”
The Irish Times: “[A] remarkable story ... propulsive.”
Tortoise media: “Reads like a daring tale from WW2.”
