Title: In the Shadow of Stalin
Authors: Andrea Chalupa and Ivan Rodrigues
Major Themes: Stalin, Journalism, Ukraine, Holodomor, Graphic Novels
Synopsis: The gripping story of a young journalist who was determined to bring to light the true story of what was happening in Ukraine under Stalin’s government.
I’ve been enjoying some of the graphic novels that have been coming out recently that tell the stories of historical events. When I saw In the Shadow of Stalin coming up, I got curious, because while I have a broad knowledge of Russian history, the 1930s aren’t an era I’ve spent much time studying. I knew that this book could have the potential to be kind of icky (and it definitely is an adult read), but in the end, I decided it was worth the risk, and I’m glad I did. This is not an easy story, but I’m glad I got to read it—this is a piece of history that shouldn’t be forgotten.
Publisher’s description:
Can the unrelenting power of truth expose one of Stalin’s greatest crimes to a world that refuses to bear witness? From journalist and screenwriter Andrea Chalupa (host of the hit podcast Gaslist Nation and writer of Orwell and the Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm) and artist Ivan Rodrigues, this powerful new historical graphic novel reexamines the bravery and tragedy that first thrust Ukraine in the international spotlight in the years before World War II.
In the early 1930s, Gareth Jones is a young journalist with powerful connections after a groundbreaking interview with Adolf Hitler and his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. This notoriety gains him permission to travel to the Soviet Union for a potential interview with Joseph Stalin.
Jones hopes to learn more about the Soviet’s mass economic gains but finds himself stonewalled and trapped in Moscow. While looking for a way out, he meets new allies that alert him to the growing man-made famine, or Holodomor, happening in Ukraine under the government’s guidance. Jones, seeking the truth in all its ugliness, embarks on a journey of discovery, strife, and a cover-up of the deaths of millions of people.
My thoughts:
As expected, this isn’t an easy story to read about. I remember hearing, while studying history, that Stalin was responsible for the deaths of millions of people, but sometimes it’s hard to align statistics with flesh-and-blood people. This book gives a face to those who were suffering under Stalin’s rule, and in many ways, it’s a hideous story. Seeing illustrations of people who are starving—and have to resort to the unthinkable (one spread depicts cannibalism) to survive—makes the facts of reality soak in a lot easier than reading a history text with a lot of numbers.
If you enjoy graphic novels and are interested in learning about lesser-known historical facts, In the Shadow of Stalin could be a good choice. Not only does it give a picture of what it was like for Ukrainians during the Holodomor, and how greed for power corrupts people; it’s also a portrait of what happens when a path of lies and deception is chosen over telling the truth. Several times while reading the story, I wished I could throttle some of the people in charge of the news outlets—they were publishing outright lies, and because they did such a good job keeping the truth under wraps, they were praised for their work.
I’m glad I got to read this story. I doubt I’ll ever reread it, but I appreciate authors being willing to tackle difficult historical subjects like this, giving a voice and face to victims who otherwise would be forgotten forever.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: Smoking and drinking occur frequently throughout the story. Page 28: Damned. Page 34: Mention of a man who was killed. Pages 38-40: A party, with women partially undressed and a naked man, kissing/hugging “helluva”, using opium, someone says “You don’t appreciate the gorgeous girls at my party.” Page 45: Dancing. Page 46: Mention that a man had four bullets in his back. Page 56: Someone says he thinks his mother committed suicide, man falls asleep at a woman’s home. Page 62: Man finds starving people, sees dead bodies. Page 63: Man hit hard over the head. Page 64: Man shot at. Page 66: Man shot and killed. Page 69: Dead bodies, live baby taken with the dead bodies. Pages 74-75: Cannibalism. Page 80: Woman almost taken away, presumably to be killed and possibly eaten, a fight with people badly hurt. Page 81: My God. Page 86: Lying. Page 97: “[They see this place] as the arse end of nowhere.” Page 103: My word. Page 115: Lying. Page 118: Lying. Page 121: Blimey. Page 135: Man killed.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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