A Taste of Bread” is a continuation of the 2014 Readers’ Favorite International Gold Award Winner “The Little Girl Praying on the Hill.”It is the bittersweet, authentic story of a desperately deprived upbringing as seen through the eyes of a little girl, who manages to rise above her miserable situation at least for brief moments through her vivid imagination and tenacity. This is the story of a … story of a desperately deprived childhood, authentically observed through the eyes of a little girl. The worst poverty of all is the lack of love that her parents were not capable of providing. Yet she gleans whatever she can and realizes that her family is a victim of the circumstances they’re forced to live in. It contains fragments of the sad memories of her older brother, who was starving for love and acceptance just as she was.The poor girl is trying to understand God’s will and why there is so much pain, suffering, disappointment, and crushed dreams in life. No loving home, no stability, no father who cares, and sometimes no bread on the table. But no matter how many cruel blows life threw at her, she managed to move on, pushed by her brother.
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This book is a continuation of the short story, The Little Girl Praying on the Hill. A Taste of Bread probes the mind and soul of a seven-year-old child who lives in a pure communist village in Ukraine. Her father is perpetually drunk and sullen; her mother is kind and empathetic. Together they struggle to survive on a struggling farm in the Carpathian Mountains.
The young girl describes the day to day struggle to survive. She is surrounded by poverty and despair and cannot understand why God has not rewarded her faith. Her brother relentlessly teases her, but he is her rock and strength. The reader finds herself inside the mind of this little girl who describes in detail and paints powerful images of the family’s fight to survive the vicissitudes of nature’s seasons. One can visualize the desperation of the children as they run to catch up with the bread truck, hoping to exchange one egg from the farm for a small piece of bread. They appear powerless in the face of a lightning storm that destroys several villages as the flames whip around the roof of their home. How strong much a child be to escape and find a better life?
This book oozes with strong emotions and draws the reader into the story. It is an eye-opener for those who know little of post-World War II Russia. Highly recommended for young adult and adult readers.
I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily chose to read and review it, giving my honest opinions for no compensation.
This is an incredibly moving story told through the eyes of a seven year old girl whose family are faced not only with the challenges of living in a country with communist rule but with a father – one of millions of children whose childhood was cut short by World War II – who is addicted to alcohol, wasting what precious funds they have drinking vodka whilst the rest of the family strive to rise above poverty by keeping the farm running to the best of their abilities. Faced with so many tragedy’s – fire that swept through their village and taking lives, as well as homes. The death of her baby sister, her father’s violent outbursts all coupled with the terrible pains of hunger – she understandably begins to question her faith in God and why he is seemingly not answering her many prayers.
She goes to stay with her Uncle and Aunt to keep his little son company through the winter. They live in an apartment on the fifth floor in an area where all the buildings are the same and she ends up getting lost. The dialogue between her and the man who she believes is living in their flat is heart warming.
The story is incredibly well written, the descriptive writing paints a clear picture that enables the reader to gain a complete understanding of the harrowing times and it really did make me think about just how very blessed my life is.
‘Love the person next to you if you want to be loved in return.’
A perfect companion to ‘The Little Girl On The Hill’, this book is suited to older children and upwards. It would make an excellent set text for Key Stage 3 and 4 students. I highly recommend.