Your Presence Is Mandatory

A Novel

De: Sasha Vasilyuk

Narrado por: Sam Rushton

Bloomsbury presents Your Presence Is Mandatory by Sasha Vasilyuk, read by Sam Rushton.

Winner of the 2025 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature | Gold Medal Winner for the 94th Annual California Book Awards | Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

A riveting debut novel, based on real events, about the price of secrecy, the weight of lies, and one man's drive to protect his family from his past.

Ukraine, 2007. War veteran Yefim Shulman was beloved by his children, wife, and coworkers. But in the days after his death, his widow, Nina, finds a letter to the KGB in his briefcase. Yefim had a lifelong secret, and his confession forces Nina and her children to reassess the husband, father, and grandfather they thought they knew and the bonds they’d formed with him and each other.

Following one family over the course of 70 years and three generations, Sasha Vasilyuk shines a light into the shadowy corners of a marriage marred by secrecy and the sacrifices people make to survive. Compassionate, gripping, and intimate, Your Presence Is Mandatory is "at once a historical epic, an engrossing family saga, and an astute examination of morality, survival, hope, and love" (Lara Prescott).

©2024 Sasha Vasilyuk (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Reseñas de la Crítica

'At once a historical epic, an engrossing family saga, and an astute examination of morality, survival, hope, and love, Your Presence Is Mandatory is a stunning feat. The emotional impact of reading Sasha Vasilyuk's gripping debut is immense. I sat with the vivid characters Vasilyuk has created for hours after reading, and I continue to think of them. Your Presence Is Mandatory is a book to last generations, and one I won't soon forget.' (Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of THE SECRETS WE KEPT)

'An absorbing historical drama that spans from WWII to the current Russian-Ukraine conflict. Vasiluk is tender and caring with her characters and her setting. Fans of All The Light We Cannot See will find the perfect historical novel with this book.' (Debutiful, "Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2024")

'Wonderfully written, elegiac and necessary, Sasha Vasiyuk uncovers the history behind the recent headlines with great skill and grace.' (Gary Shteyngart, author of OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS)

'An engrossing family saga and a secret key for anyone who wants to understand how history has brought Ukrainians and Russians to where they are today.' (Boris Fishman, author of SAVAGE FEAST)

Story!

This powerful book tells the story of many people who survived World War II, Soviet Union in Ukraine — a land that once again finds itself at the heart of war. Their experiences are both heartbreaking and inspiring, capturing the resilience of a nation through the darkest of times. Your Presence is Mandatory is not just a historical account, but a deeply human narrative that resonates even more today.

Historical fiction at its best

I learned a lot of history from and was emotionally engaged by the book. The author shows how authoritarian regimes affect not only people’s external lives but also their personalities and relationships. The author has done the research of an historian while also revealing the story of her family. I’m looking forward to the discussion at my Jewish book club.

The Untold Story of a Soldier's Journey!

I loved how the author kept my attention through blocks of history, life changes, and a marriage story. The story flows through the difficult times of multiple characters, from the beginning of the Second World War to the start of the 21st century.

As a person who grew up with four grandparents who survived the Second World War, I imagined the filters they used to tell stories. Their stories never evolved, never deepened, as if they told only what they decided to share.

I recommend this book to anyone ready to be captivated by a history lesson, hidden journey, and beautiful flow of language.

Captivating narrative

Beautifully written, deeply personal story of horrors and absurdity of war and the soviet system. Masterfully painted dehumanizing struggle to survive and protect your loved ones from trauma, discrimination and persecution. This story is increasingly relevant due to senseless war in Ukraine and criminal totalitarianism revived by its high priest of deception and destruction Vladimir Putin.