num_pages: 403
description: In 1996, Ukrainian-born Stepan Fedenko's fifty year wait to tell his WWII survival story came to an end when he first published his memoir Rozluka (Separation), as fear of the Soviets torturing his family kept him from speaking out any sooner. The Ukrainian version of Separation reached #8 on the most read books list in Ukraine in 1997 and received plenty of press, as it was the first book of its kind. Stepan's grandson Damian has taken the last three years to translate his memoir, in hopes that it would touch English-reading souls as it did in Ukrainian.  We’re sending the proceeds of the English version to the volunteer-run Canadian organization called Nashi, which built the Maple Leaf Center in Kiev, Ukraine. This center houses, feeds, and teaches valuable life and leadership skills to young girls who would otherwise be sold into human trafficking. We appreciate your support.  Stepan’s story begins as a 17 year old Ukrainian Undergrounder. After a routine mission goes wrong, he and Tato (his father) get arrested by the Germans. Stepan's Mama(mother) ran after their truck only to be kicked off the tailgate by the thick black heel of a Nazi boot. That was the last Stepan ever saw of her. The rest of the story weaves Stepan in and out of prisons, beatings, concentration camps, bombings, and more, finally leaving him with a near impossible choice at the end of the story.  With Ukraine continuing to be in the spotlight, fighting for freedom from Soviet oppression and governmental corruption, Stepan's memoir could be a fantastic read to get a better idea of "how did we get here?" with the Soviet Union and Ukraine.  You can contact Stepan or Damian by emailing Damian at dnoflows@gmail.com.
language: English
title: Separation: A Ukrainian WWII Survival Memoir