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The Road To Donetsk
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The Road To Donetsk

By Diane Chandler
ISBN 9780993092244
Category Fiction
Summer 2015

Synopsis

Love story set in a community of Donetsk mining wives. In a world where millions of dollars can either wash away in a moment’s corruption, or transform the lives of the neediest, Vanessa must pit her own desire to make a difference against the chaos of a country in transition.

Author's Biography

Diane Chandler worked at the European Commission in Brussels for several years, where she managed overseas aid programmes in Ukraine just after the fall of communism. Ukraine soon worked its way into her heart and she travelled there extensively.

Reviews

Price £11.99

“A touching love story that illuminates the aid business. Compelling and enjoyable.” CLARE SHORT (former Secretary of State for International Development) 

“Lifts the lid on aid.” LYNN CURTIS, literary consultant 

“ I felt for the characters: their pain, their frustration, and their joy. And I felt it strongly. It had the kind of emotion that keeps me turning the pages of a book long past when I should have put it down. I would recommend to anyone who likes reading about different areas of the world, or enjoys a love story.” Onlinebookclub.org USA

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Reader Comments

Diane is a tremendous story teller and tells a disturbing and really gripping story here.
Great read.
What an eye opener! I had no idea about the world of international aid and it's not at all as I imagined!!!
Great book
An engaging and totally original story; a unique love story. It draws you into the world of aid in unexpected ways.
A great read which deserves my vote!
Excellent read, and very topical.
Excellent book
A satisfying book to read on a number of levels. It enlightens the reader to some of the issues in the Ukraine at that same time as developing a touching love story.
an interesting read - good luck with any sequel!
A really interesting insight into international aid, a great love story with believable characters
a terrific read with fascinating insight into the world of aid and ukraine
A great love story. It's fantastic to read a book that is so relevant to what is happening around the world at the moment. It brings to life the realities of all those who are living through turmoil and change in their countries and need a Vanessa in their lives. Truly touching.
Great Book!
Loved this book. Very touching and well written, kept me hooked.
This book is a real page-turner. The author takes us to a time and place few of us know much about with energy, passion and humour. Her beautiful descriptions of the look, feel and heart of Ukraine and its people seen through the eyes of a fiery and idealistic aid worker keep the reader hooked. This is a well-written, thoughtful love story which moves and satisfies but also leaves a lasting impression about a country with a complex history that resonates with news stories today. A thoroughly worthy winner of a people's prize.
A timely reminder of what was and now is. A very good read.
Gosh! An entertaining book that makes you think.
Made me laugh and cry and completely reshaped my views of the third sector.
An enduring love story & insight into the curious world of aid made me long to visit the country particularly Odessa and the Carpathians ... a pleasure to read.
Excellent book telling a good story with authentic background and clear philosophy
A great beach read
A great turn paging read. Thoroughly recommend.
A heartfelt story of Vanessa Parker trying to make the difference in the world of aid, in Kiev and Donetsk. I was totally absorbed in her determination to do something worthwhile and make the difference, in particular with the mining wives in Donetsk, which was incredibly moving. A lovely easy to read novel which improved my knowledge of the world of aid.
Congratulations on a brilliant book, Diane. Great characters, and an interesting insight into overseas aid work.
A wonderful book and read which draws you in to the characters lives, made even more pertinent and powerful in light of the struggles the country is facing today
Excellent. Looking forward to the next book.
A book that took you there!
I used to work in Ukraine many years ago and Diane is so on the mark. I do still work in international aid and am trying to avoid turning into Dan! Fantastically written, love the characters the love story and the imagery of Ukraine. Well done Diane, you are a star. Good luck and fingers crossed for you.
A good read, can recommend this book.
Fascinating in the light of recent events - and a great read.
This was a great read but also a very illuminating book about the aid world and the Ukraine and its people. Kathleen Copeland
Excellent and inspiring read.
Moving, beautifully written and well paced. Couldn't put it down.
This book is a great summer read - I couldn't put it down! A romance story with bite, would definitely recommend.
great read!
Fascinating insights to a real place; how complicated it is to help people. And how a young woman grows -- with some heartache and joy -- into a wiser helper. Chernobyl in the snow is an awesome experience.
The aid world is laid bare in this tender romantic drama set against the backdrop of a Ukrainian coal mining community as it struggles to adapt to a new post-Soviet way of life.
A very enjoyable romantic read, learning a lot about Ukraine and International Aid along the way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very strong story line played out in a fascinating and little known context (Ukraine and development). Never quite sure what was going to happen next!
A great read; kept my interest throughout. Strong, well developed characters and a fascinating insight into the quasi corrupted world of foreign aid but also gives a glimpse the colourful and rich culture of the Ukraine.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!!
A fresh take on the world of foreign aid from a knowledgeable insider
Wonderful book!
A really enjoyable read about a young woman who is passionate about helping the wives of unemployed Ukrainian miners.The warmth and human feeling she has for these people comes across so strongly that one feels a real sense of involvement. There is also humour and a sense of women solidarity. The reader is made aware that International Aid is important, but, at the same time, flawed.The heroine learns this, but still wants to play her part. She is naive in thinking that she can make a difference.
This book satisfies on many levels. It is vibrantly human. And after I read it I was left feeling I had a relationship with Ukraine and knew something about its people.
So enjoyed this book. A real discovery, and I'm looking forward to Chandler's next book. The book pivots on the professional and personal relationship between the idealistic Ness and the pragmatic Dan. Through them we discover the world of aid, its limitations and potential, in an Ukraine emerging from Russian control.
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