How Did It Come to This? (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781959224662)

'How Did It Come to This?' is set against the backdrop of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and describes the lives of two young soldiers, Yuri, a Russian conscript and Milo, a Ukrainian soldier. When Yuri almost freezes to death in a trench during an artillery barrage, Milo finds him and kindly revives him. Gradually the two become comrades and Milo helps Yuri escape back to the Ural Mountains to his pregnant wife, Elena.

Milo helps a trapped nurse in a bombed out hospital in Kyiv, Svetlana and falls in love with her during a rare break from duty and the pair must decide whether to leave and seek refuge away from Ukraine or stay there and do their duty. Yuri and Elena attempt to leave Russia by road and seek refuge in Finland.

The story culminates as the two couples meet up in Helsinki to wait out the war. As the war is still progressing as we speak it is very topical and thought inspiring.