“Under This Unbroken” sky is the author’s debut novel and it follows the fate of Teodor Mykolayenko, and Ukrainian immigrant in Canada during the 1930s, who was imprisoned after stealing some grain to feed his family, grain that was actually his.
The novel begins with his release and return to his family. Together with his wife Maria and their children, he sets off onto a new beginning on a farm and works hard to provide them with a good life. Aside from the hardships of nature, the cruel climate and struggle to provide enough food, the immigrant family is faced with the cruelty of society and discrimination. Theo’s sister and her husband Stefan are another antagonizing factor in their life. Stefan is a drunkard who refuses to work and thus becomes dependent on Theo. This sparks immense jealousy and desire to steal Theo’s hard work.
The novel portrays a difficult life of immigrants along with the themes of family life, love but also of cruelty and domestic violence. With the contrasting poetic language the novel relates a tragedy of a man faced with injustice and cruelty of life.
