Paper Roses on Stony Mountain by Diana Stevan is set in early World War II Canada, as Hitler comes to rise and the war begins. It follows Dunya, who falls in love with Peter, and both their Ukrainian families and their dynamics in the early 1940s. Dunya’s family are farmers in Canada. The story talks about their struggles. Peter’s brothers are in the military, where we learn about what it was like for them. Dunya is a very progressive woman who is constantly working and more in control of their money than Peter. It also addresses how immigrants were viewed and the differences in how people tried to cling to their traditions or hide them to better fit in.

Paper Roses on Stony Mountain is a little dry, and I wasn’t sure what direction the story was headed. I kept waiting for a plot twist, but it never happened. However, the writing was very clean and easy to read. I enjoyed the character dynamics. Especially Dunya and her mom or with her husband, Peter. I could feel how her being so progressive rubbed her mom the wrong way at times. As well as how it balanced out Peter’s lack of motivation. I also enjoyed the dialogue and struggles between her brothers. Mike was an alcoholic selling homebrew and gambling family money away, while Egnat was the responsible, hard-working brother who took over the father’s role. I could feel the tension and struggles.

Paper Roses on Stony Mountain is the third book in this family saga series. A work of historical biographical fiction based on the author’s grandmother, readers, will be shown what life was like for an immigrant in Canada during the second world war. It is a testimony to the struggles women faced in this fast-changing time of life, and the struggle to keep family together.

Pages: 363 | ASIN : B0B9RMKX2F