Episode 8. Sharon Washington – My Tara

A Dictionary Of Ukrainian Emotions

On the eve of the New Year, the eighth episode of A Dictionary of Ukrainian Emotions podcast is released, and we are pleased to invite you to a new emotional journey with the wonderful American actress Sharon Washington, who reads the text My Tara by Lyudmyla Tymoshenko.

This work begins with the Ukrainian author's childhood impressions of the novel Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell and reflections on the sound of a coffin being nailed shut, which symbolizes the irreversibility and finality of loss. The story centres on memories of her childhood in the Ukrainian city of Ovruch, where she was sent to live with her grandmother from the harsh North Kazakhstan, where her father, an officer in the USSR's strategic nuclear forces, served.

The story unfolds against a backdrop of deep emotions: the fear of nuclear war, the harsh climate, and the psychological tension among the military who were responsible for launching the missiles. While in her childhood the heroine finds refuge in her grandmother's house, which becomes an island of warmth and happiness for her, in 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, her childhood home is destroyed.

After the reading, podcast host, writer, and translator John Freedman and Sharon Washington discuss the emotional impact of the text on readers. John, who has done a lot to popularize Ukrainian drama, notes that the text has already gained wide recognition, having been read more than 50 times around the world, which testifies to its universality and ability to move people deeply. Shaun Washington shares her personal perception of the movie Gone with the Wind and draws interesting parallels between her own experience of growing up and the themes raised in the text.