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MARCH 16�23, 2022
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Fleeing Ukraine: History repeats itself
‘The Last Green Valley’
chronicles one family’s
escape from Soviet forces
in late World War II
By Cheryl Hoefl er
GO! Magazine
“B
ombs echoed from the north
and east. The rumble of war
was getting closer by the minute.”
“Where are we going, Papa?” “West
… as far west as we can go. Across the
ocean, maybe; I don’t know.”
“Another Red Army tank had
reached the crown of the hill behind
them and fi red its cannon before the
other three tanks followed suit.”
“Not an hour passed when they
weren’t rolling by a wagon pulled off to
the side of the route so survivors could
bury their dead.”
These are not words lifted from
recent headlines, but from Mark Sul-
livan’s latest historical fi ction, “The
Last Green Valley,” which documents a
young German family’s arduous fl ight
out of Ukraine from 1944-1947.
When Russian President Vladimir
Putin declared war on Ukraine Feb. 24,
I realized I knew nothing about either
country’s history or geography. But in
my quest for information, I knew I didn’t
want an encyclopedia-type book or
comprehensive history of the confl icts
between the two countries. I yearned
to learn in a more personal and impact-
ful way. This novel, which was released
in May 2021, more than fi lled the bill.
Trapped between opposing forces
in late World War II, Emil and Adeline
Martel and their young boys are faced
with a desperate choice between two
evils. They can stay in their Ukrainian
homeland and face the probable —
oppression from Stalin and the Soviet
regime — or embark on a dangerous
trek westward toward the possible — a
life of freedom. Having suff ered under
the former, they opt for the latter,
even though it means relying on the
protection of Hitler’s Nazi police.
Their journey begins by horse-
drawn wagon, in a caravan alongside
a multitude of other refugees, but
quickly turns into a tireless on-foot
trek, with only meager possessions
pulled in a small cart. They are joined at
the outset by extended family mem-
bers but eventually are left to trudge
forward on their own, driven by sheer
physical strength, willpower, ingenuity
and faith.
At times, the story slips into the
past, giving the reader background in-
sight on historical and personal events
that led to the dire plight in which the
Martels fi nd themselves.
I raced through page after page ea-
ger to see what lay next in this family’s
struggle for freedom. But be warned:
This is by no means an “easy read.”
The Martels endure a relentless and
unspeakably horrendous stream of tri-
als and obstacles. And Sullivan spares
nothing in his apt descriptions. I was
frequently teary-eyed and fearful. The
passages that seemed to haunt me the
most involved food — eating garbage
covered in rancid grease and even
grass to avoid starvation.
Sullivan explains in the book’s after-
word how he crafts his blend of facts
and fi ction in his works. But make no
mistake, the Martels are a real family
who fl ed Ukraine nearly 80 years ago.
Family descendants live in Montana,
as does Sullivan who makes his home
in Bozeman.
The book includes a map outlining
routes the family journeyed, which I
found incredibly helpful. There are also
photos and discussion guide questions.
Needless to say, I highly recom-
mend this novel, which exceeded my
expectations and left me thirsting to
know more about that part of our world
and how we arrived at our current
tragic state of aff airs.
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