Is there a place for love and compassion in the basements of Mariupol destroyed by the Russians? Can gratitude for the time with a loved one be greater than the grief of losing them in the war? What gives you the strength to support people who have just escaped from the occupation, when at these very moments your son is going through hell at Azovstal? And what does it feel like to bring a child into this world when there is shelling outside the window and no electricity or water at home? This book features the voices of twenty-five women-military, medical, volunteer, IDP, journalist-women who have been captured or who are

who are waiting for their loved ones to return from captivity, who have suffered irreparable losses in this war, but have so much strength and love to share with others. In these stories there is a lot of pain: shelling, basements, wounds, explosions, death - but there is also there is also a lot of light: gratitude, faith, kindness, love, and - most importantly - hope. Each story is unique, but at the same time, they are all about our common experience of this war, about our common wounds and hopes.