The Winter of Whispers
is a middle-grade historical fiction novel by Katy Addis, based on the lives of her mother and grandparents during WW2.
The Winter of Whispers is coming out in May, 2027.
The Winter of Whispers
Eva’s parents never tell her anything about the war. She wishes they would.
Tomasz’s parents tell him everything. He wishes they wouldn’t.
It’s 1944 in war-torn Romania and Eva (10) has lots of questions. Why did her babysitter go away without saying goodbye? Why did her friend Nutzi’s family get sent to Siberia? What’s a re-education camp? But her parents refuse to answer and it’s driving her mad.
Tomasz (14) has parents who tell him every single danger they face. It’s almost too much to bear.
When the Soviets march into their town, their lives takes a dangerous twist. Eva and Tomasz will need to muster all their courage to keep themselves and their families safe.
What is the book based on?
The Winter of Whispers is based on the lives of my mother and grandparents during 1944, towards the end of World War Two. They lived in a Romanian city called Cernăuți (also known as Czernowitz and Chernivtsi). During the war the city was occupied by various armed forces. In 1944 the Soviets invaded for the second time and incorporated the city into The Soviet Republic of Ukraine.
Under the Soviets people (including my grandmother Regina) were conscripted to spy on each other by the NKGB (People's Commissariat of State Security), otherwise known as the secret police. Teachers and students at the school where my grandmother taught were made to spy on each other. The book is based around this time of fear and distrust, yet shows how people still risk their lives to help and support each other.
Listen to Regina (Eva’s mother) talk about how she was conscripted to spy for the Russian Secret Police.
Watch Eva talk about her escape from Chernivtsi.