“The scope of this book is astonishing, an ambitious reach into the murky past in a mysterious land, bright with humor, suspense, risk, villains. One subplot: Upon becoming a follower of Yeshua, Christos, a peasant in ancient Ukraine literally, without suspecting, becomes the first man of Russian letters in two ways. Another subplot: Two are on a journey of faith, two are on a journey into faith, all are on a journey for faith. Another: romance blooms under inhospitable influences and sustains the lovers through horrible challenges, with a chance at last to rest before new threats arise. Another: a slave girl-turned-reluctant-priestess takes command of a renegade band of caravan-raiders and turns them toward nobler endeavors. These subplots all involve the same four characters — a resounding success!” -L. Rex Pyles, Assistant Professor of Russian, University of Maine-
“Fire, Wind & Yesterday: A Tale of Ukraine and Khazaria, stands out as an exquisite and daring work of serious historical fiction. Set in the treacherous and culturally complex ninth-century lands that correspond to modern Ukraine and southern Russia, your story masterfully intertwines survival, identity, faith, and the fragile negotiations that shaped early Eastern Europe.
“Laïsha’s defiant bid for freedom followed by her unexpected entanglement with Kolyek, a humble but aspirational healer, creates a compelling dual perspective that captures both the human struggle for agency and the weight of historical forces reshaping an entire region. The inclusion of Greek holy men, the perilous sweep of the steppe, and the emergence of what would become the Cyrillic alphabet lend the narrative both cultural richness and historical resonance.” -the Manhattan Book Club-
So many deadly mistakes and the lies to cover them… Is there more to fear if faith be bold and the truth be told? A 9th-century Ukrainian peasant, fancying himself a physician, crosses the steppe together with a fugitive woman and two Greek holy men in pursuit of an elusive rendezvous. While the physician awakens to the Greeks’ advanced culture, the holy men discover the rudiments of what is now the Cyrillic alphabet.
by David A. Woodbury, released in 2017 – quality paperback, 577 pages, $15 at Amazon, Kindle edition $4 (free with Kindle Unlimited)
Her perspective: Laïsha sees the chance and claims her freedom, fleeing alone down a cold Russian river. Her escape is thwarted, but perhaps she can manipulate Kolyek, a naïve, nearsighted, and bumbling healer deep in the woods of ancient Ukraine, to shield her until she finds another way home. But the forest rings with the howls of wolves. Wait… no, not wolves: holy men from Greece. They are headed in the right direction. Will they take a young woman along or does the healer have to come too?
His perspective: Kolyek, a 9th-century peasant fancying himself a physician, crosses the steppe together with a fugitive woman and two Greek holy men in pursuit of an elusive rendezvous. While Kolyek awakens to the Greeks’ advanced culture, becomes an unwitting hero in his near-fatal defiance of a nomadic chieftain, and decides whether he is a man to whom things happen or a man who makes things happen, the holy men discover in the humble peasant’s cottage the rudiments of what is now the Cyrillic alphabet.
See the page ABOUT FWY for a look into the creation of the novel.
Kindle Instant Preview is available for this book. No need to own a Kindle device to begin reading right away.
Parts of this book are posted here as well. The complete book, by David A. Woodbury, is available in quality paperback and in a Kindle edition at Amazon.com.
These portions are available here at DamnYankee.com:
Table of Contents – Translator’s Foreword – Prelude – Historical Perspective – People and Places
DamnYankee Publishing 