The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

“That rarest phenomenon: a war novel that feels at once timeless and precisely of the moment…” — The Washington Post

Some books find you at exactly the right moment. This is one of them.

Twelve-year-old Artem’s life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is quietly, beautifully ordinary — days on his grandfather’s sunflower farm, sketchbook in hand, swimming in the river with his little brother Yuri. But Artem carries a private weight: growing feelings for his best friend that, in his world, feel unspeakable. Then, on a February night, explosions shatter everything. War arrives, and with it, unimaginable loss.

What follows is a journey across a country on fire — two brothers, two backpacks, and a bond that refuses to break. Artem’s singular mission becomes fierce and simple: keep Yuri alive. Keep moving. Hold on.

Compared to the haunting brilliance of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, this novel carries that same rare emotional precision — the kind that lingers long after the last page. It is a story about queer identity, about the Ukrainian spirit, about what love looks like when survival is the only option.

Heartbreaking. Luminous. Essential.

This is the kind of novel we love pressing into hands here at the shop — the kind you’ll find yourself thinking about while walking the Marginal Way, the sea wind at your back, the story still unfolding in your chest.

• Critically acclaimed — praised by The Washington Post
• Perfect for readers of literary LGBTQ+ fiction and contemporary war narratives
• A moving exploration of sibling love, identity, and resilience

Additional information