The Silent Journey

by Havelah McLat

One girl. One locket. One journey across the ocean.

In 1932, deaf eleven-year-old Anika Bohdan escapes famine-depleted Ukraine with one to reunite with her papa, Tato, in America. After a perilous ocean voyage, she arrives in Manhattan alone and frightened. When Tato does not show up to meet her, Anika sets out to find him. Barely speaking English, she must navigate a strange and overwhelming city, dependent on the kindness of strangers, the companionship of a stray dog, and the strength of her own will.
All she has is her treasured locket and the memory of her papa’s smile.
Failure means losing Tato forever.

This heartfelt story explores resilience, identity, and finding one’s voice against the backdrop of historical upheaval.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 23, 2026

About the author

Havelah McLat grew up on a small farm in rural Ohio with her family. As a kid, she spent hours drawing and then crafting short stories to go along with her illustrations. As she got older, her passion grew to write stories about the world, faith, and topics that matter the most to her. She has written several short fictions that have been featured in different anthologies. When she isn’t writing, she reads books, draws, and spends time with her family.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*. * · It’s the year 1932, and deaf eleven-year-old Anika Bohdan flees Ukraine, in hopes of reuniting with her papa, Tato, in America. Arriving in Manhattan after a voyage on the ocean, alone, scared, and barely able to speak English, Anika, with her luggage and her treasured locket, begins her journey in a strange and large city where she meets kind strangers eager to help, a stray dog who becomes her good friend, and the tenacity to find Tato. Because failing to find him means losing her papa forever.

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

*. * · This story was so sweet! 🥹🫶🏼

I was fortunate enough to be a beta reader for this book, and I was beyond excited to read the arc copy because I love Anika’s story. She was strong and full of hope and love for her dad. I was rooting for her the entire time she was searching for Tato, smiling when she came across kind strangers who were willing to help her with her search. And Lev the dog was the best! I absolutely loved him! 🤭 And the ending made my heart so, so happy. If you are looking for a hopeful, moving story that’s similar to The Little Princess and has a disability rep, then this book will definitely give you all the feels. 💙

❃ Thank you to the author for providing the arc! All opinions and statements are my own. This book will be available on 03/23/2026! ❃

❗Content Warnings❗
Loss of a loved one (on page) & loss of a parent (off page).

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars (4/10 hearts). Before we start, can we just admire the cover, please? And the inside illustrations and formatting are almost as pretty. The other thing that instantly interested me in this book was that the MC was both a Ukrainian immigrant and Deaf. Although familiar with ASL and the Deaf community, I'm not very familiar with the history, so I appreciated seeing Anika's POV and especially how reading lips left her with fragments of speech instead of full sentences. The story is very fast-paced and full of characters, and although it naturally took place much more in America than Ukraine, I appreciated seeing that country during the 1930s and the slight A Little Princess reimagining. Overall, a solid middle-grade.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[Izzy {writing hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty cute! Rtc!

[📚 Alana (professional book nerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five well deserved stars! (I’d give it more if I could 🥺)

I just finished binging this, I didn’t realize what time it was (oops 😅) and I have to finish homework but this book was amazing. It was so well written, the emotion, the genuine feelings behind this just come through so clearly, and I’m so honored that I was chosen to be an arc reader for this book! 🫶🏻

[Heidireadsitall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled at my heart.

Reading from the point of view of a deaf eleven year old girl crossing the ocean alone to find her papa was so sweet and emotional. Anika is brave and kind, and it is impossible not to want good things for her. Watching her navigate a brand new country, barely knowing the language, relying on her own strength and the kindness of strangers really got to me.

Some of her adventures were a little scary from a mom point of view, but in a way that kept me turning pages because I needed to know she would be okay. I loved seeing the world through her eyes and how determined she was to never give up on her papa.

This is a beautiful, heartfelt story about courage, hope, and finding your voice. Such a great pick for this age group and honestly a lovely read for adults too.

Thank you to the author for the ARC ebook. These thoughts are my own.

[Charron Moczygemba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet tender story about a deaf young girls and how she accomplishes an incredible journey to find her father. I love how the writer tells the story for the girls point of view, seeing a world through the vale of a foreign deaf child. Such an incredible story perspective. The author does an excellent job at capturing the historical setting in the story and bringing to life a distant reality of the past. I found her ability to draw the reader along in the young girls journey and frame the reality of the world she was trying to understand through the kindness of people and their generosity to help others, despite their own personal struggles. Cannot recommend this book enough.

[Licia Chenoweth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silent Journey by Havelah quietly packs an emotional punch, telling the story of a young immigrant girl, Anika, who must grow up fast in an unfamiliar world. Her story is told with heart and care, exploring the hardship, hope, and bravery it takes to start over.

[Chelsey Pryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story of Anika is one that will really pull on the heartstrings. It is a tale of love, loss, hope, strength, determination, new friends and family.
It touches on the political, social and economical situations of the early 1930's that the book is set in. However, this is done in an age appropriate way, for children age 8+ to understand.
We learn that Anika has been deaf since the age of two as a result of illness. Throughout the book the speech is shown in fractured sentences, to show how Anika views the speech when she is lip-reading. I thought this really helped the reader to understand how confusing and often scary some situations could be for Anika.
I loved that found family aspect of the story, from Iryna stepping into the grandparent role, to the friends who became family during the journey.
A lovely book to read.

[Laura Dicker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into The Silent Journey not realizing that it was written for a middle school audience, which definitely shaped my reading experience. Once I understood that, a lot of the tone and structure made more sense.

The story itself carries a meaningful message and has heart. There are thoughtful themes woven throughout, and I can see how younger readers would connect with the characters and the emotional journey they experience. The core ideas feel important and accessible for the intended age group.

That said, I found the English to be somewhat choppy at times, and the writing didn’t always read as smoothly as I would have liked. Some transitions and phrasing pulled me out of the story, making it harder to fully immerse myself. As an adult reader, I was hoping for a bit more flow and polish in the prose.

Overall, I would give this book three stars. While it wasn’t quite the right fit for me stylistically, I think it could resonate well with middle school readers who are looking for a story with meaningful themes and an approachable voice.

[Kimmie Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is very touching. I especially enjoyed geting to hear what is like to be deaf. I like that the author included the father's encouragement to not let herself be bulied. I love how she is determine to find her tato despite her fears. Adding a loyal companion to the story especialy with her disability was a great idea. This story resembles my theme of overcoming limitations. It makes me smile to listen to other books with disabled characters as The MC. Thank You for the ARC.

[Middle Grade Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anika is a character who you cannot help but love. I was rooting for her through all of the trials that were thrown at her.

I really loved the beginning of the book and the picture it painted of Ukraine at the time. I felt like I was there.

I also enjoyed all of the wonderful people who we get to meet along the journey and that even some characters who don't seem great at first end up being good after all.

It was also refreshing that she mentions her God and her faith a little bit in the story.

I received a free E-ARC copy and there were a few editing tweaks I would have made if I were to be nit-picky (which I often am🤪)but the story itself is great.

[Rebecca Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating and moving! Once I started reading, I was glued to this book.
The Silent Journey follows a young girl named Anika as she travels from Ukraine to New York City in search of her father. Anika's character compelled me for so many reasons. She lost her mother at a very young age and was no stranger to life circumstances requiring bravery. Perhaps most fascinating of all, Anika had to navigate a foreign country while completely deaf. Her courage and resilience resonated with me, and I expect to carry this story in my heart forever. It will no doubt appeal to all readers, young or old, who appreciate historical fiction full of emotion!

[Maria Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story of a young deaf girl who leaves behind Stalin’s Soviet Union in search of her father in New York City. It takes place at the height of the Great Depression. Anika meets each challenge with courage, determination, and hope.

The book is perfect for anybody who loves historical fiction!

[Serenity 🪶💛 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh, The Silent Journey was such a cute book 🥹 A story about friendship and the kindness of others during hard times. A young girl clinging to hope and the need to find her father in a new land where everything can feel scary.

[Havelah McLat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! I finally revealed the cover for The Silent Journey. I’m in tears. 🥹😭 The cover artist did an amazing job bringing my vision to life and GetCovers nailed the typography! 🥰

This had been in work for almost eight years (off and on). I lost count. 😅 I queried it for a year and half, then I felt led to independently publish it. Now here we are…two months till the release March 2026. 🥳

I just finished proofreading with help of two people (blessed their hearts) to catch typos etc. and sent the manuscript to my editor for final round of proofread! ✏️

Sneak peek of first line:

“Whenever she spoke to me, I saw movement, but I heard nothing.”

Intrigued? 👀

I’ll be open for arc reader soon! 🤓

In the meantime, please add The Silent Journey to your Goodreads TBR. If you want to support me and my work, you can preorder ebook right now! 🛍️

Paperback and hardcover (yes first time doing hardcover with jacket!) will be available for preorder soon.