Key Themes:
-
PTSD, guilt, and adaptation
-
Love that endures loss
-
Female resilience and vulnerability
-
Faith against all odds
Key Themes:
-
PTSD, guilt, and adaptation
-
Love that endures loss
-
Female resilience and vulnerability
-
Faith against all odds
About the book
Olena is a psychologist who voluntarily dives into war so she won’t drown in her own fear. Together with her husband, she becomes a military diver. Ahead lies a depth where it is hard to breathe. And a waiting that feels endless.
A novel about a woman’s experience of war — with honest pain and the silence between explosions. About anxiety, loss, PTSD, a body that is changing, and roles that no longer work. About love that can barely withstand the war, and the strength that is born in the darkest moments.
About the author:
Tetiana Kozelska is a software developer, short story writer, and author of the novel "Where the Light Doesn't Reach"
-
What surprised you the most when you started working on this topic?
When I started researching the topic of military divers, I was surprised by how important a part of the military these people are. They do difficult, secret, and sometimes truly dangerous work underwater. Their preparation for real service is impressive. And, to be honest, it was a surprise to me that we even have such specialists.
-
How did you research the topic of military divers? Did you talk to real fighters?
From all the sources available to me: textbooks and methodological recommendations for training military divers, interviews and reports. I went to a scuba diving lesson to try out the equipment, the feeling under water, the weight of the cylinder, the water pressure and all the inconveniences - there I met the instructor, who then gave me advice. I found the contact of a real military diver who was on assignment at that time, he even read a few chapters. I got information about being on the real front from my father-in-law, who was in an assault group in the hottest places.
-
Who would you recommend this book to?
To everyone who is ready to reflect on the present. To those who understand the importance of capturing reality not only documentaryally, but also artistically. Because in reality, there is so much pain around that there is no need to invent anything. Just write it down and experience it.