⚡ Pace: slow · 🎭 Emotions: heavy, layered · 🚪 Entry threshold: high · ⭐ Why read: memory trauma, interwoven narratives
If the author's last name seems familiar to you, you're right. She is the daughter of Yurii Andrukhovych – a provocatively scandalous figure, in the best sense. This case contradicts the saying “Genius skips a generation.” No – here, genes assert themselves. Sofia Andrukhovych, though still young, has already authored several works with a profound impact on readers. The novel Amadoka, written in 2020, is one of them.
"Is it a dream or reality? It's really you, and it's me, and it's you in me or me in you. You're my hiding place under the floor, or I'm your Lake Amadoka – the largest lake in Europe, stretching hundreds of kilometers along cities and villages, fields and forests, clouds and heavenly bodies... You will find me only on ancient maps, but I will remain in you forever."
Amadoka unfolds the layers of Ukrainian cultural heritage – from ancient times to the 20th century. It contains memories, mysteries, historical episodes we'd rather forget, and lives that provoke more questions than answers. This is a book about belief systems and social strata, family secrets and psychological trauma.
It explores death and its long shadow – "the actions of the deceased continue to resonate in the lives and decisions of the living, never truly fading." It reflects on the idea that "any object can tell its story," and how "old photographs contain existence itself – a distillation of family history, like a drop of thickened resin, almost amber," something every modern Ukrainian family carries. It shows how family secrets often take the form of painful bonds: "In your family, people are not able to be together; even when close, they are separated by emptiness."
The novel raises unspeakably painful topics: the Holocaust, the Executed Renaissance, and the modern russian-Ukrainian war. The effect of complete immersion makes reading it a deeply emotional – even traumatic – experience.
But the heart of the novel can be found in Abel Birnbaum’s monologue:
"The world is in order, and fortunately, it is not arranged by people. This order is wise and the only possible one. If left unbroken, a person will live in happiness and peace, bringing joy to themselves and others. Some things may seem harmless but are impossible and must not be allowed. Some paths cannot be crossed. Certain worlds can only exist separately... Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone important is to never see them again."
We highly recommend reading Amadoka. And we’re certain that after this novel, you’ll want to discover more of Sofia Andrukhovych’s powerful work.
📚 Did you know 📖
One of the most voluminous contemporary Ukrainian novels (over 800 pages).
At its core are themes of memory, war, and loss; the title refers to the vanished ancient lake Amadoka in Ukraine.
The book was shortlisted for Ukrainian literary awards.
It explores memory, identity, and the history of Ukraine in the 20th century.
Its narrative includes episodes about the Holocaust, Soviet repressions, and the war in Donbas.
Critics have called it “a modern Ukrainian epic.”