The smells, pranks, feelings and taste of prajaniks of childhood. Diana Bogdanova’s debut book “Mana ome und vareniki” has been published, in which the author tells about her childhood spent in Ukraine, the national cuisine and various vivid adventures in which her grandmother was always present. Although the stories were written before the war in Ukraine, now these memories have even greater value.
“Before, we didn’t plan anything, but now we count turns, intersections, events. And if for a short while we imagine ourselves as a child, the road as if we are walking for the first time and the day as a holiday. Maybe for a moment we will get back to where time is infinite.”
Putting a black-and-white photo of her grandmother in a small golden frame next to it, the author of poems and prose Diana Bogdanova describes warm memories from her childhood spent in Ukraine with her grandmother Vala in her debut book “Mana ome un vareniki”. In more than twenty mutually independent stories, the author tells about her grandmother – a warm, brave and wise woman, who was once exiled, recognized as an enemy of the nation, who experienced the Holodomor, the Second World War and lost her daughter, through experienced games, pranks and lessons.
Remembering her childhood adventures and pranks, the author also remembered many recipes of Ukrainian dishes. The book describes how to prepare such delicacies as pryaniki, chocolate sausage, borscht, pies with poppy seeds and vareniki with cherries.
Remembering the lullaby sung by her grandmother, Bogdanova initially had no idea about the book. She wrote her first story in Russian and published it on social networks, where she received many good words. Later, a second story was also published, to which the grandmother’s recipe was added. And only after that, Bogdanova had the idea to put her memories in a book. It is significant that all these stories were written before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The author notes that people are in a hurry every day, but it is important to take a break and revive your stories from childhood and try to remember what influenced you in your childhood.
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