Like many around the world, we at SCOJO New York have been rocked by the invasion of Ukraine. Our hearts and our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people, and we admire the enduring resilience, courage and spirit of Ukraine in this time of crisis.
To support Ukraine, from now through the end of March SCOJO New York will donate 50% of all online sales from our BluLite collection to Caritas Ukraine and the Ukrainian Red Cross. We also wholeheartedly encourage our friends, customers and partners to support in other ways where possible, to remain informed and aware of the ongoing conflict, to learn about the history that has led to these shocking events and to continue to stand up for what is right.
This month, the SCOJO Book Club selection also pays homage to talented Ukrainian writers, focusing especially on female authors in honor of International Women’s Day. Writing, like all art, represents a bid for connection and expression. Through writing, we access experiences and exchange ideas that help shape our understanding of the human condition. We bear witness to the emotions, thoughts and lives of others. Today, we choose to bear witness to the inspiring voices of Ukraine.
Pictured: Maria Matios, Yuliya Ladygina, Oksana Kis
- The Lost Button by Irene Rozdobudko. This psychological thriller set in 1970s Soviet Ukraine tells the story of a young student's encounter with a seductive, mysterious actress, and how one memorable night morphs into an enduring obsession.
- A Biography of a Chance Miracle by Tanja Maljartschuk is a darkly humorous novel detailing the exploits of Lena, a young woman determined to save the downtrodden in the indifferent, nationalistic Ukrainian city of San Francisco.
- Hardly Ever Otherwise by Maria Matios. A dramatic family saga set in the last few decades when Ukraine belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Matios’s novel explores the grand passions of ordinary people and the themes of envy, transgression, love, truth, honor and duty.
- In the Name of Love by Svitlana Kostiuk is, by the author’s own description, an attempt “to try through poetry to touch human hearts, generously scattering its warmth, light and love of neighbor into a cold space.”
- Bridging East and West by Yuliya Ladygina is an exploration of the literary contributions of Ol'ha Kobylians'ka, one of Ukraine’s foremost modernist writers, and her place in Ukrainian cultural discourse.
- Your Ad Could Go Here: Stories by Oksana Zabuzhko seeks to make sense of the unthinkable reality of modern times through a breathtaking short story collection, each told by a different narrator, bound together through moments of connection and captured rich prose.
- Summer Kitchens by Olia Hercules is a cookbook exploring Ukrainian heritage through a collection of recipes, photography, and stories gathered from various summer kitchens—small structures alongside the main house where people labor in summer to preserve food for winter.
- Survival as Victory by Oksana Kis is a harrowing and groundbreaking anthropological study of the daily lives of the Ukranian women who survived the Soviet forced labor camps of the 1940s and 1950s.
Our picks represent only a fraction of the creativity, imagination and history of the Ukrainian people. It is our hope to continue to spread awareness and empathy, to preserve the rich literary traditions of a remarkable nation, and to add our voices to the many others who call for peace.
We have donated $31,000 to Ukraine Red Cross and Caritas Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who contributed!