"Two on the battlefield. Two at war, two behind the lines. One unbreakable house."
"BBC Book of the Year Finalist—the breakout hit everyone's talking about"
"Keeper of the Walls" by Olena Karpenko
Genre: Literary Fiction / Contemporary Family Saga
Original Language: Ukrainian
Year of Publication: Fall 2026
Page count: 230
Format: A5 (145mm × 205mm)
Rights Available: World (English, Spanish, German, etc.)
What happens to a modern, successful family when history breaks through their front door? Elena’s husband and their eldest daughter, Sofiya, join a volunteer battalion to defend Kyiv and later the Donbas, while Olena remains on the homefront, managing a business, supporting her youngest daughter, and navigating the psychological toll of war.
Structured around the literal "two walls" rule—the safest place in a house during an air raid—the narrative transforms this survival tactic into a profound metaphor for the psychological barriers we build to protect our sanity. It is a brilliant study of internal metamorphosis, where corporate ambitions fade, and the simple, raw necessity of maintaining a family business becomes an act of national resistance.
Why It Sells
-
Authentic Female Perspective: Unlike many war stories focused solely on combat, this narrative provides a deeply personal look at the "hidden" front—the mothers and wives who maintain the economy and family life while their loved ones fight.
-
Universal Themes of Family & Memory: The juxtaposition of traumatic war experiences with warm, sensory childhood memories makes the story relatable to anyone who values home and heritage.
-
Emotional Resilience: The book captures the transition from shock and fear to active resistance and volunteering, offering an inspiring look at how individuals find strength in times of absolute uncertainty.
-
Timely and Global Relevance: As the world watches the conflict in Ukraine, readers seek personal stories that humanize the headlines, providing context and emotional depth to the geopolitical events.
Similar Titles:
-
"The Great Believers" by Rebecca Makkai (captures the profound emotional toll on a close-knit group of people navigating a massive historical crisis, showing how personal relationships and daily choices become acts of resilience).
-
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (a classic memoir of a woman whose life is upended by WWI).
-
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce (captures the "Business as Usual" spirit of women keeping the city running while bombs fall nearby).
-
20 Days in Mariupol (Best Documentary Oscar winner, for the raw, unfiltered look at the invasion's early days, which the manuscript echoes in its early chapters).