Olia Hercules

Praise for STRONG ROOTS

‘I was completely pole-axed by this. It’s a breathtaking achievement to depict such pain so exquisitely. And it’s strikingly sui generis. Olia Hercules deftly fuses war reporting, food memoir, an investigation into identity and an act of resistance to create what I feel compelled to describe as a painting out of words. An instant classic.’ Nigella Lawson

‘It is the roots that keep the trees from falling during a storm. Olia Hercules tells us that the same is true for people and nations. It is the roots of culture and dignity that make them unbreakable at the time of war and peace, in Ukraine and beyond.’ Serhii Plokhy, Ukrainian historian and author of many books on Ukraine including Chernobyl Roulette: A War Story and The Russo-Ukrainian War

‘Wending through wars pastand present, hugging the family tree, “Strong Roots” shows a path.’ New York Times

‘Bittersweet, life-affirming and devastating all at the same time. I read the entire book with a lump in my throat. Olia has written an exquisite and unforgettable book.’ Mel Giedroyc

‘Olia Hercules is a beautiful writer. So attuned to the sensual details of the world. Very raw, very honest, in a way I appreciated a lot. And all the ingredients – personal stories, historical context, trauma, hope are so finely balanced. It deserves to be read and admired far and wide!’ Charlie Gilmour, author of Featherhood

‘Only Olia Hercules could write such a cinematic and brave hearted book examining what it is to live as a Ukrainian family at a time of unimaginable horrors and yet on every page the reader finds grace, strength, and occasionally the sting of dark Ukrainian humour. Strong Roots manages the near impossible: it is both a deeply personal book and a vital historical record.’ Caroline Eden, author of Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes

‘Fiery, tender, deeply personal, how else to explain the importance of this unflinching account by an acclaimed food-writer – cook, mother, daughter, grandchild – of a people and place in a land under siege?  Intimate, moving and brilliantly written, every page is a treasure-trove of memories – her own, her family’s, and through listening to the experience of others. Here, in all its beauty and sorrow, is the story of Ukraine as it is, and was, and surely will be again. Unforgettable.’ Elisabeth Luard

‘A spirited assertion of national pride and identity and a celebration of the taste of home.In this memoir her food writing is so lush and evocative you can almost taste the sour cherries; the borsch, the kefu dough stuffed with dill and egg.’ The Bookseller

‘A searing, magnificent work. Poetic, personal and raw.’ Andrew Harding

‘Sweeping, intimate, defiant and brimming with love. An exceptional work by a writer of enviable gifts.’ Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses

‘At once elegant, affecting, and mouthwatering, this is not to be missed.’ Publishers Weekly

‘A rich tapestry of family history, food writing and national pride.’ iNewspaper

‘A thoughtful, valuable testimonial to what it means to be Ukrainian in a time of torment.’ Kirkus Reviews

‘There is great beauty, fierce joy and an indomitable appetite for life in her rendering of her family’s story. ‘We are not victims,’ she insists in the closing pages. ‘And we are not just survivors.’’ Country Life

‘Hercules’s thought-provoking book is full of sparkling images and powerful insights into the relationship between food and society.’ Observer

‘A beautifully written and inspiring story about the enduring power of the human spirit.’ Sun

‘Written with a sizzling pen and a chef’s sensitivity to smell and flavour, it explores Ukraine’s modern history through four generations of her family.’ Literary Review

‘[Hercules] looks unflinchingly at the havoc wrought by war and the distinctive character of the people who live in its midst.’ The Spectator