I’m beyond excited to share some incredible news with you—my new book, Through Bullets and Thunderstorms, will be released on May 8, 2025!
But that’s not all…
Cover Reveal!
I’m thrilled to finally unveil the cover of Through Bullets and Thunderstorms! I wanted the cover to reflect the emotional journey of survival, sisterhood, and resilience that Maria’s story embodies.
You can order your copy HERE
About the Book
Maria Furman is 18 years old when the Nazis come for her, and there’s nowhere to hide. A sympathetic neighbor offers to forge her paperwork so Maria can avoid immediate execution, for now. The other Jewish people in her Ukrainian hometown aren’t so lucky. After witnessing her family and neighbors executed, a distraught and terrified Maria decides to end her life, only to find another girl who is about to do the same. This chance encounter causes the girls to form a survival pact, committing to taking care of each other and staying alive together.
Here’s What Readers Are Saying:
“Bullets and Thunderstorms starts off with a horrifying bang and doesn’t let you breathe until the very last page. Shocking, unflinching, and true, this book should be required reading—as both a warning, and an inspiration. Hope is embroidered through every page.”
– Lora Innes (author of The Dreamer)
“I have read many Holocaust books, but this one is definitely the top! What a testament to the ugliest and the most beautiful parts of humanity, all at once. This book is definitely a must read, and I feel so honored to have read it.”
– Marina Triner (The Compassionate Somatic Coach)
“Janina Scarlet takes an unflinching look at the Holocaust but serves as a reliable guide through some of history’s darkest moments. Compelling, heartbreaking, and uplifting in equal measures. Highly recommended!”
– Jonathan Maberry (NY Times Bestselling author of NecroTek and Burn to Shine
A Note from From the Author
I have wanted to share my grandmother’s story since I was a small child. All four of my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. There are many reasons why I wanted to write this book: to share my grandmother’s story, to give a voice to the millions of people who died in Ukraine, and to address the growing issue of antisemitism.
I’ve found that outside of Ukraine, most people don’t know about the mass murders, the famine (the Holodomor), and the torture that Ukrainian people endured. I’ve also found that most people don’t know about the Ostarbeiter, the forced enslavement of Ukrainian people during WWII. Many people don’t know about the Babin Yar massacre, as well as many other massacres that took place in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, I have found that antisemitism still exists all over the world, from people openly wearing swastikas to people denying the Holocaust. I decided to write this book to honor my grandmother’s voice and the voices of many others affected by this horrific time in our history, including myself.
As this book is being released, my home country of Ukraine enters its third year of bravely fighting off the horrific invasion from Russia. I’ve seen a tremendous amounts of parallels between what my grandparents experienced during WWII and what the people of Ukraine continue to go through. The spirit of Ukrainian people, the kindness so many of them showed during WWII (by risking their lives to hide Jewish people), and also the incredible courage that they show today, is truly unmatched. It is my dream that we will someday live in the world where we will not have to hide our identities, and where we will all be able to love and care for one another.
And above all, may there be peace.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Your support means everything.
With gratitude,
~ Janina Scarlet
