25 The War Came To Us: Life and Death in Ukraine

Christopher Miller’s immersive contemporary history book The War Came to Us chronicles Ukraine’s fight for freedom and independence.

Looking for a new challenge after his freelance journalism career stalled, Miller joined the Peace Corps, hoping to go to Africa. Instead, he was sent to Bakhmut, a town in eastern Ukraine struck hard by the economic downturn following the Soviet Union’s collapse. Sent to work at a local school, Miller outgrew his job; he tagged along with local journalists investigating stories.

Though he doubted that he would enjoy his time in rundown Bakhmut, Ukraine and its people got under Miller’s skin. By the time his contract with the Peace Corps ended, he was sad to leave. Offered a job at the Kyiv Post, an independent Ukrainian newspaper published in English, Miller moved to Kyiv and was further transformed.

Blending elements of memoir with reportage and contemporary history, the book chronicles Miller’s work as a reporter and foreign correspondent in Ukraine during some of the country’s most traumatic and transformative recent events: the 2013 Euromaidan protest movement, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the war between Ukraine and Russia in Donetsk, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the outbreak of total war.

Miller’s matter-of-fact narration is vivifying. The resolve, anger, and fear of the Euromaidan fighters are evoked well, and the confusion among journalists crashing up against the stoicism of the war-hardened people of Donetsk following Russia’s invasion is palpable. Written with love, respect, and the critical eye of a reporter, the book evinces deep dedication to an adopted homeland.

The War Came to Us is a detailed, personal, and engaging account of recent transformative events in Ukraine’s history.