LoveReading Says
Reviews of Jen Stout’s incredibly well-written account of her experience covering the first months of the war in Ukraine have described it as evocative, compassionate and extraordinary and, within the first few pages of this book I too was struck by the high quality of writing, the skilled use of language to paint a scene and the empathetic style as the author introduces the reader to the realities of armed conflict and its effect on ordinary people.
From the homes of those people, from the battlefield, from hospitals, underground shelters, and in cars and on trains, Stout transports the reader into a world few will ever see. It enables understanding as we learn from those who are there how their lives are affected, how resourceful survivors must become and how, although their lives have been irrevocably changed, hope remains.
A wonderful book, the author’s first. I cannot wait to read more from her.
Matt Johnson
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Jen Stout Press Reviews
'Jen Stout is very brave. And she is a storyteller of supreme gifts. She has travelled through the war without the backup and financial support that comes with working for the big media organisations. I am in awe of her resourcefulness and courage' -- Fergal Keane
'Jen Stout's book is not just a report of darkened cities and piteous survivors, but a highly personal journal of one young Scot's first experiences of war . . . moving and unforgettable' -- Neal Ascherson
'In evocative portraits from homes, battlefields, rattling buses and trains we see the determination, solidarity, heartache and humour of a people at war' -- Angus Bancroft
'Jen Stout tells the story of her time covering war-torn Ukraine with clarity and a deep compassion for those whose lives are being destroyed. A must-read for anyone interested in the impact of the Russian invasion' -- Dani Garavelli
'A celebration of Ukraine and a lament for it. This extraordinary book may have been written in compassion and anger, but the note that rings out is love' -- Peter Ross
'Jen Stout is a wondrous young writer from the Shetland Islands, bursting with humanity, boundless curiosity and an unrelenting enthusiasm for life ... This is the work of a writer with an exciting future ahead of her' -- Jon Lee Anderson
'Night Train to Odesa is a thrilling read. Rich in reportage and infused with a deep knowledge of Ukraine, it is a masterful book from one of the best young journalists in Britain' -- David Patrikarakos
'Jen Stout's writing is an antidote to the cynicism of war. Night Train to Odesa is unlike any other book you’ll read on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . . . Her reporting is caring and immediate and this account is honest, intelligent, and visceral; it is independent reporting at its finest' -- Quentin Sommerville
'The brutality of the war in Ukraine is told with great empathy, compassion and skill by Jen Stout in Night Train to Odessa. She shows not only great courage in her reporting on the ground, but the immense human cost of war' -- Janine di Giovanni
'Jam-packed with vivid insight and empathy, journalism that’s full of heart' -- Paraic O'Brien
'Jen Stout’s great achievement is to tell the stories of ordinary people in extraordinarily difficult and dangerous circumstances. Night Train to Odesa is by turns sad and inspiring – and unfailingly fascinating' -- James Rodgers
'A lucidly written personal narrative... the author makes use of many devices associated with literary fiction without becoming the story herself — the focus is always on Ukraine, the Ukrainian struggle, and its helpers' -- Robert Alan Jamieson - Artwork magazine
'The people [Stout] is happiest among are the medics and charity workers. It is their empathy that she shares, and wishes above all to illustrate. In ‘Night Train in Odesa’ she does so brilliantly. There will be many books about the war in Ukraine, but few will match the textured subtlety of this fine debut' -- Robert Alan Jamieson - Bella Caledonia
