Short stories
2022
After the 24th
by Vladyslav Ivchenko
“Excuse me, but the war has begun.” These words of the writer Vladyslav Ivchenko marked the beginning of February 24th. It was the day when life changed forever. Standing in line at the draft board, he realized that he had his own war story now. “My granny had one, my parents had none, and I was always sure that I’d never have mine own.” After the 24th is a collection of short stories and poetry about war, a record of what Ukrainians have experienced and are experiencing now. The book is about those who are ready to die for freedom and those who are ready to survive at any cost; it is about lovers and beloved; it is about losses that make one howl in pain, and laughter that helps preserve sanity. It is about betrayal and fear; it is about those at the frontlines and those away from them. Something is true to life and something is fictional. Be careful as the texts are deceptive, and often the ones you will believe to be true, will turn out to be fictional and vice versa.
