This is the second edition of this novel originally published under the title "The New Exodus: Escaping Putin's War (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJSTXRLN).
The novel is based on the true story of two Russian families who fled Russia on the brink of mandatory conscription announced on September 21, 2022.
Ella and Ilya, Sasha and Alyona and their children (ages from 5 to 20) are caught between a rock and the hard place - they have to quickly decide whether they will allow the government to draft their sons to war against Ukraine or not.
As the clock starts ticking, they pray and realize that they need to leave Russia as soon as possible. The dreaded question is - will they be able to get out or will they be stopped at the border?
They didn't want to participate in the war with Ukraine. They didn't want their 20-year-old sons to kill people. They didn’t want to listen to propaganda day in and day out. So, they slipped out of Russia in the nick of time and flew to Istanbul.
Their incredible odyssey lasted 4 months, marked by unbelievable twists and turns, sacrifices and triumphs, gains and losses.
They left behind their jobs, their homes, and their friends in Saint Petersburg.
They didn't have any money beyond the first 2 weeks of their journey.
They didn't have any work or a place to stay. Only one of the nine spoke English.
They traveled over 20,000 miles across the globe without knowing what the next day would bring.
They were stranded in Istanbul for 2 months and for 2 months in Mexico.
They learned to take one day at a time, trusting God moment by moment through many troubles and tribulations.
They lost all hope and found it again. They died and rose again.
They faced the depths of despair and learned to soar above it.
They trod the earth but ended up entering Fairyland.
They met God in the wind, they heard Him in the cry of the gulls, and they saw His face in the eyes of others.
They met with angels and demons. They received signs and visions.
They turned into deer and escaped their persecutors like St. Patrick.
They made friends with trees and touched God’s peace with their hands.
They were homeless and penniless, yet they were treated like royalty.
They were chased by police and saved by ice cream.
They felt lost but were never abandoned.
They died to all their desires but found them all fulfilled on the other side of death.
What other people say about this novel:
-- "You kept me on the edge of my seat! I could not stop reading for the suspense of what would happen next. I felt I got to know every person in the story, in the way you described their actions, reactions, and background' -- Steve Slater
-- "I just finished reading it. It's amazing! I love how you pulled everything back to the things that had happened in the beginning and along the way" -- Michele Womble
-- "Profoundly thought-provoking. Thank you." -- Matthew Greenwood
