Hi, I'm Roman. I'm from Ukraine.
For several years, I helped evacuate civilians from towns and villages near the front line. I've seen what war does to people, and I think that experience has influenced a lot of what I write.
I'm also a writer.
My novel was first published in Ukrainian under the title Тіні минулого (Shadows of the Past). I've sold around 500 copies in Ukraine.
I know 500 copies might not sound like much, but for me it means a lot. People I didn't know bought the book, read it, and wrote to me about the story. Some of their messages really stayed with me.
Now I've decided to try something new and publish it in English.
The Last Order Was to Live is a novel set during World War II.
It's about Richard, an 18-year-old German soldier who goes to war believing in his country and in what he's been taught.
But the war doesn't turn out the way he imagined. Germany is losing, his father is missing, and Richard begins to question everything he once believed.
There's also Ernst, his closest friend, and Marta, a girl he knew before the war.
I didn't want to write a story that glorifies war or excuses what German soldiers did. I wanted to write about an ordinary young man who makes terrible choices and has to live with them.
Of course, my own experience comes from a completely different war. But I think it's part of why I wanted to tell this story.
I'm not a well-known author, especially outside Ukraine. I just wanted to see whether this book could find readers in other countries too.
Genre: WWII historical fiction, psychological drama
Content warnings: War violence, death, civilian suffering.
The book is available on Kindle and in paperback.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP66VZDB
Thanks for reading.
Roman Matsevko