Life Beyond Fear — A Letter Before the First Page
Dear friend,
This book is both a cry and a whisper.
A cry, because war tore my family out of bed at 5 a.m. on 24 February 2022 and nothing has been truly quiet since.
A whisper, because somewhere under the rubble I still hear the small voice that says live anyway.
I wrote Life Beyond Fear to remember, to understand, and—honestly—to stay sane. It traces nine years of upheaval: the first shells in 2014, the full‑scale invasion in 2022, our flight across Europe, the long exhale in America. It also honours the flashes of joy that somehow survived alongside bomb sirens, empty supermarkets, and the guilt of being alive when others are not.
If you have ever packed a suitcase you never meant to pack, or lain awake wondering whether courage is even real, this story is for you. I hope these pages feel less like a memoir on a shelf and more like two children meeting on a playground: no fear of strange accents, just curiosity and stubborn hope.
This is where the story begins.
Below is a glimpse of the very first awakening—exactly as I remember it.
Excerpt – Chapter 1: Awakening to War
Thursday, 5 AM, February 24, 2022. I am jolted awake by unsettling noises that terrify me, though I can't quite place them. There’s something deadly about these sounds, a deep, instinctual warning that something significant is unfolding. The pale morning light spills through the balcony door, casting a grim glow on my husband’s face, marked by fear and horror—a reflection of my own dread. Explosions chill the blood; their reality is undeniable and horrifying. As we lie in bed, our silent glances acknowledge the unknown trials ahead.
Our thoughts turn to our children, our two daughters aged 10 and 4, still asleep and dreaming of rainbows and unicorns, blissfully unaware of the stark reality intruding upon their dreams. The scene feels eerily reminiscent of Valentin Papko’s chilling painting "Not Even Dreamed. June 22, 1941," which depicts the surreal calm before the storm of World War II. I never imagined facing a similar terror, a terror unfolding in the very heart of Ukraine, in the city of Dnipro. A terror that swept across the entire country that morning.
I feel helpless in the face of this looming danger, an ancient fear that I can’t protect them from. History, once confined to the pages of books or museum walls, is now painfully present, repeating in a way I could never have imagined, touching ordinary families like ours.
If these words resonate, stay with me.
I’ll be sharing quiet stories here — not often, but always honestly.
Until next time,
Natalie
Life begins beyond the edge of fear.
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