Strong Roots

A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine

De: Olia Hercules

Narrado por: Olia Hercules

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, award-winning Ukrainian chef and food writer Olia Hercules decided it was finally time to tell her story.

Strong Roots is the story of a century in Ukraine told through four generations of one extraordinary family. It takes us from years of Russification, to Olia’s grandmother’s deportation to snowy wastelands under Stalin, to her aunt Zhenia’s school protest, to her own parents’ flight from Ukraine when their village was occupied in 2022.

This is an ode to the land, to ideas of home and belonging, and to family stories and recipes passed down the generations—the tang of sour cherries, the best way to make borsch. It is an account of resilience in the hardest of circumstances.

Strong Roots brims with hope and fear. It lays bare the compromises and betrayals of generations struggling and surviving through war, peace, invasion and exile. It is an uplifting reminder of how much the human spirit can endure when born from a land rich with strong roots.

©2025 Olia Hercules (P)2025 Random House Audio

Beautiful and heartbreaking

The author’s voice is hypnotic as she shares the story of her family’s Ukrainian history and heritage. Combines wonderful storytelling, beautiful descriptions, and important lessons.

This audiobook is a treasure

First, I read Olia’s book and was so touched by the heart and love in her writing it brought me to tears. Wanting more, I downloaded the audiobook. Narrated by the author, her words come to life and you can feel her passion for her homeland and her roots. The addition of the traditional music between chapters makes the audiobook a masterpiece. 💙💛