Art
Enthralling biography about the three little birds
The book encompasses the honest, raw emotions and sentiments involved in the roller-coaster transformation journey of a handful of displaced Ukrainians over the course of a year!
Having had the pleasure to meet the characters in the book, I can directly and personally relate to some of their stories. The author’s mother Zhanna (68), one of the eminent characters in the book, has one of the most gorgeous and warm smiles that you will ever come across! And she is ever so humble to the core. Zhanna has been a widow for the past 17 years with two children – a daughter (Julia, the author herself) and a son (Oleg) who is still in Ukraine with his two children. She spent most of her life in Odessa (Ukraine) and is currently living in Zurich. Zhanna is a retired engineer who also worked as a private entrepreneur for several years following her husband’s passing. As you would gather from the book, she doesn’t like to be away from home (Ukraine), but she loves to help others in every way possible; whether it’s to help the volunteers at the charity events, to fundraise with home cooked Ukrainian meals or simply to give you a warm hug and a smile to soothe your inner conflicts.
I have witnessed how Zhanna had lost her warm and charming smile when she initially arrived in Zurich; feeling and looking lost, distressed and inconsolable. This smile, however, has resurrected again when she found a purpose in her new ‘home’ – to help the charity foundation, to help her fellow displaced Ukrainians and to assist the volunteers. In all this, I do believe that the cherry on top was partaking in and celebrating her daughter Julia’s wedding only a few months after the traumatic ordeal narrated in the book.
Photo 1: The 3 birds when they arrived in Zurich. P.C. Julia Peters
Photo: Julia’s wedding. Zhanna and Elizabeth (left to right). P.C. Robert Tokarczyk
The author also gives us a sneak peek into the spicy-ness from her personal chronicle, keeping it real and authentic. You are bound to see a glimpse of Christian Gray and Anastasia Steele (Fifty Shades of Grey) in the sensual part of the narrative, amidst the chaos. The author Julia (39) is an expat living in Zurich. She was born in Odessa and has lived in England, France and Austria over the years. Julia is a journalist and Instagram blogger. Currently, with her life in Zurich, she hosts various events for other expats giving them an opportunity to make new connections and friends. This initiative grew arms and legs over time, which also facilitated in the launch of the magazine for expats ‘in Zurich’ about modern trends and interesting things to do in the city.
I (Elizabeth) am one of the expats who have benefited from these events and the magazine. I’m an IT engineer who relocated from the U.K. 3 years ago. Being a newbie in Switzerland and previously having been an advocate for community development projects, getting acquainted with Julia paved way for my volunteering interests to help the displaced Ukrainian families migrating to Switzerland, through the ‘Good Friends for Ukraine (GF4UA)’ charity. The story behind the establishment of this charity is narrated in the book.
The two other birds mentioned in the book are the twin sisters – Tatiana and Lidiya (61), Zhanna’s friends, who are also currently residing in Zurich. The book gives you a glimpse into their sisterhood, emphasizing how they supported each other through thick and thin throughout this challenging phase of their lives.
The narrative provides a couple of underpinning key takeaways to all readers:
1) Have a support system in place for you; a support system with genuine friends who care about your welfare, and don’t hesitate to reach out to them in times of need and despair.
2) Humanity will prevail and will shine through in times of darkness, even today.
All the real names have been changed in the book. The biography is a small 254 pages easy to read book that can be read in a couple of evenings. It caters to anyone interested in reading about the ground truth and challenges faced by the displaced Ukrainian families in Switzerland. Furthermore, the narrative hones in on the cliché ‘if there is a will, there is a way’.
It is a self-published book by the GF4UA foundation. Details of how it can be purchased are available on their website:
https://www.goodfriends-for-ukraine.ch/
All sales proceeds go to the foundation.