Family Hearth. Stories

Yevhen Gutsalo is a Ukrainian writer from the 1960s, a poet and journalist. One of the few authors who was able to preserve his originality and satire during the Brezhnev stagnation and continued to write after Ukraine gained independence.

In the story "Family Hearth", the writer depicts life in the small village of Zbarazh, which is recovering from the war. Hanka's husband was killed, and now she is raising three children alone. The woman desperately seeks justice, so, despite the arbitrariness of petty officials, she finds the strength to build a new home for her children and defend her truth. Yevhen Gutsalo not only creates vivid characters of local residents and describes their everyday lives in a sharp and satirical way, but also tells a touching story of maternal love.

In other texts included in this edition, the writer, in particular, talks about growing up and connecting with family, closeness to nature, and the diversity of the village.