"Two on the battlefield. Two at war, two behind the lines. One unbreakable house."
"Silence isn't peace—it's the sound of waiting for a phone to ring."
"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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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"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).
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Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (a classic memoir of a woman whose life is upended by WWI).
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Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce (captures the "Business as Usual" spirit of women keeping the city running while bombs fall nearby).
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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).