wanted to read Glorious People because of its relevance to the current political situation, and it is an incredibly well-written book. So well-written, in fact, that I can’t finish it.

I’m from a post-Soviet country that (just like Ukraine), been oppressed and occupied by Russia for what feels like forever, and while I can deeply relate to the themes in this book, it just hits a little too close to home. Reading, for me, has always been an escape, and this story is a reminder of the harsh reality that’s already waiting right outside my door.

I wish I had the emotional capacity to finish it, because it deserves to be read, but I just can't.