The Dream Lives On

As war rages in Ukraine, Viktor Yurchenko flees to the United States together with his three young kids and an elderly mother.

 All he is looking for is a refuge for his family; falling in love is the last thing he expects on the other side of the Atlantic. What’s more, he would have never guessed that his journey could help his relatives connect the dots in a decades-old family mystery.

Teresa Jameson, a top executive in an international company, has lived for sixteen years in a seemingly happy marriage. Or maybe she just closed her eyes too often and refused to face the reality? 

As ample cracks start to show, she needs to dig deep into her soul. Will she look away just one more time, or give the new relationship a chance to flourish?

my review...

While fiction, this is currently fairly realistic since it begins with a Ukrainian family trying to determine what to do with the possible invasion of Russia hanging over the heads of the Ukrainian people. This story of hardship, part thriller and a bit of romance, keeps you glued to the page.

There is much intrigue here. While the author portrays the story of horrors and hardships of the Ukrainian people, she keeps the underlying story running throughout. It makes the side characters as vivid as the main characters and somehow wraps you up in it.

An excellent read, one of hurts and dreams and hope.

read an excerpt...

Viktor got to the railway station exactly two hours before the train to Warsaw was supposed to depart. It was sufficient time, but he quickly realized that getting on the train was not going to be easy. In fact, it was nothing short of an ultimate test of endurance and desire to live.

By now, the train station was flooded with millions of people desperately trying to get out of the capital before the Russian army got closer. Getting on the train was free, but trains were extremely scarce—which meant that a huge, shapeless crowd of people moved around the platform from train to train in hopes of landing a seat. Many people didn’t have a particular destination in mind and simply wanted to get on one of the trains going to Western Ukraine or Poland.

It’s going to be a total nightmare getting on this train, Viktor said to himself. He squeezed his hands into fists and looked over their motley group: three young kids, each holding a small suitcase; a frail elderly woman with a bad ankle; a cockatoo in a large cage; two frightened-to-death dogs with fluffed-up fur and tails between their legs; and a middle-aged university professor who had spent most of his life with his nose stuck in a book. Not an athlete. Not a hero.

They were at an obvious disadvantage compared to many other families who gathered at the platform. Nevertheless, they had to try. Fight their way onto the train.

about Valeriya Goffe...

Valeriya Goffe was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine and spent most of her adult life in the USA. She resides in Washington DC together with her husband, Bill, and a nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth. You can often find their family golfing, playing tennis or hiking at the Rock Creek Park. They are also frequent visitors at the Jekyll Island, one of the Georgia’s incredible Golden Isles.

Valeriya’s daytime job involves writing analytical reports and managing complex financial sector projects at a large international organization. Previously, she worked in financial services consulting, auditing and in academia. Valeriya holds a PhD degree in finance from the Kyiv National University of Economics in Ukraine and an MBA degree from Kogod School of Business, American University in Washington DC. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Charterholder and a member of the Accounting Advisory Board at the Kogod School of Business. Valeriya enjoys learning foreign languages. She is trilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and also speaks French and Spanish.

While she finds her business career quite rewarding, Valeriya’s life would not be complete without creative writing. She writes a travel and family blog, and she published her debut fiction novel, Secrets We Keep, in 2024.

Valeriya’s writing is very closely intertwined with travel, from which she gets many of her plots and characters. Over the years, she has visited many countries in America, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and Asia. No matter where she goes, she manages to find some interesting stories which need to be shared with the readers. These stories eventually end up on her travel blog or in one of her books. Africa in particular has left a large imprint on Valeriya’s life and given her a lot of inspiration. She has also been quite lucky to explore the countries of Central Asia which are rich in historical heritage, natural beauty and also interesting personalities. Some of these adventures will be reflected in her future books.

Book links:

BOOK TITLE: The Dream Lives On

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/3yN6AZ

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWJYRSM2

APPLE BOOKS: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-dream-lives-on/id6741719605

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dream-lives-on-valeriya-goffe/1146965273?ean=2940181018938

GOOGLE BOOKS: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=jktEEQAAQBAJ

RAKUTEN KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-dream-lives-on-5

 

Social media links:

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/valgoffe_author

Bluesky: http://www.bluesky.com/valgoffe.bsky.social

Website: http://www.valeriyagoffe.com

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