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Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Short Stories
Essays
Poetry & Novels in Verse
Thrillers
Romance
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
Literary Fiction
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Graphic Novels
Biography/Memoir
History, Current Affairs and Religion
| Critics: |
A poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling with his sexuality as war breaks out in modern Ukraine.
In many ways, twelve-year-old Artem's life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is normal. He spends his days helping on his grandfather's sunflower farm, drawing in his sketchbook—a treasured gift from his father, who works in America—and swimming in the river with his little brother, Yuri. In secret, Artem has begun wrestling with romantic feelings for his best friend, Viktor. In a country where love between two boys is unthinkable, Artem has begun to worry that growing up, his life will never be normal.
Then, on a February night, Artem and Yuri are woken by explosions—the beginning of a war that will tear their life in two. The invading Russians destroy their home, killing their mother and grandfather, and leaving young Artem and Yuri to fend for themselves. Fleeing in hopes of somehow reuniting with their father, the brothers traverse the country their ancestors once fought and died for, with nothing but their backpacks and each other. Surrounded by death and destruction, Artem is certain of one thing—that whatever may come, he must keep himself and his brother alive.
A harrowing and gorgeous tale of love, identity, lost innocence, and survival set in a time of devastating war, The Sunflower Boys is a powerful, heartrending exploration of young queer love, the Ukrainian spirit, and a family's struggle to survive.
"Wachman's wrenching debut chronicles the Ukraine-Russia war from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy….[A] striking first novel…its rewards are extraordinary." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"With its luminous depiction of all that has been lost and what remains at risk, there is no better book to read right now." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A tender and moving story about love and belonging, as a young boy comes to terms with his sexuality, set against war breaking out in Ukraine. This book could not come at a more poignant time as the world watches Ukrainian lives continue to be destroyed. Wachman immerses readers in the visceral realities of trauma and hope with profound insight." —Debutiful "The Most Anticipated Debut Books"
"A beautifully written dramatization of a terrible current event." —Forbes
"Set in modern-day Ukraine, Sam Wachman's debut novel, The Sunflower Boys, combines the devastating impact of an invaded country with the love and lost innocence of a boy as he discovers his identity." —Queerty
Sam Wachman is a writer from Cambridge, Massachusetts. His short fiction has appeared in the Sonora Review and the New England Review, and he was awarded an Honorable Mention by Kiley Reid in the Ploughshares Emerging Writers' Contest. He is studying for his Master of Social Work at Boston College, and is fluent in Ukrainian and Russian.
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