Looking at Women Looking at War is a profound record of the strength and resilience of the Ukranian people, captured by a remarkable writer.

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Amelina wanted to use her skills as an author to help in the war effort. She volunteered as a war crimes reporter, and this book records the testimonies of the victims, witnesses and fellow reporters she met across the country in 2022-23, before her reporting was tragically cut short by her death in a missile strike.

Amelina's writing is brave, emotive and honest. To her (and to the reader), recording these testimonies is an act of justice and of love; the truth has a power in its own right. As well as the personal stories, there are some powerful reflections on the threads running between Holodomor, the Sixtiers, the Revolution of Dignity and the present war. I particularly enjoyed the transcript of her conversation with Philippe Sands, a thoughtful and indepth discussion of the meaning of genocide and the search for justice.

Although the text is unfinished, and it's not always an easy read, I admired the editors' decision to present what there is in draft form, true to Amelina's vision. Her personality and passion sings from the page, and I'm grateful that the world gets to share in her gift.

An intelligent and intimate record of war, Looking at Women Looking at War is an important read.