Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine

Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine - Paperback

$32.00
$32.00
Skip to product information
Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine
  • Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine
Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine - Paperback

Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine - Paperback

by Olia Hercules
$32.00
$32.00

Book Overview

by Olia Hercules (Author)

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE - When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, award-winning Ukrainian chef and food writer Olia Hercules decided it was finally time to tell her story.

Strong Roots is the story of a century in Ukraine told through four generations of one extraordinary family. It takes us from years of Russification, to Olia's grandmother's deportation to snowy wastelands under Stalin, to her aunt Zhenia's school protest, to her own parents' flight from Ukraine when their village was occupied in 2022.

This is an ode to the land, to ideas of home and belonging, and to family stories and recipes passed down the generations--the tang of sour cherries, the best way to make borsch. It is an account of resilience in the hardest of circumstances.

Strong Roots brims with hope and fear. It lays bare the compromises and betrayals of generations struggling and surviving through war, peace, invasion and exile. It is an uplifting reminder of how much the human spirit can endure when born from a land rich with strong roots.

Author Biography

OLIA HERCULES was born in Ukraine and lived in Cyprus before moving to the UK to study English, Italian, and Russian. After working as a chef for several years, she released her bestselling and award-winning debut cookbook, Mamushka, in 2016. This was followed by Kaukasis, Summer Kitchens, and Home Food. Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Hercules co-founded a movement called #CookForUkraine, which has raised over £2 million pounds for humanitarian efforts. Strong Roots is her first memoir.

Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 1 x 9.2 x 6.1 IN
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Large Print: Yes
ISBN9798217170159
Author Olia Hercules
PublisherRandom House Large Print Publishing
GenreBiography and Relationships
FormatPaperback
PublishedAugust 2025
LanguageENG- English
Pages320
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeLarge Print

Related Subjects

Biography & Autobiography Family & Relationships Nonfiction

1% fer Each of the Seven Seas

Every purchase sends 7% of our profits to The Ocean Cleanup. No fine print, no opt-in — just how we sail.

Whoever Ye Be, Welcome Aboard

Queer lit, music, art, philosophy, fiction — stories for every kind of soul. Come as ye are, matey.

More by Olia Hercules

Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine

Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine - Hardcover

Strong Roots: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Ukraine - Hardcover

By Olia Hercules

About Olia Hercules

OLIA HERCULES was born in Kakhovka, in the South of Ukraine. She trained at the renowned Leiths School of Food and Wine, then worked as chef de partie in restaurants, including Ottolenghi, and as a recipe developer. Her first book, Mamushka, went on to win the Fortnum and Mason Award for best debut cookbook and was followed by Kaukasis, Summer Kitchens and Home Food. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Olia co-founded a global initiative to raise money for Ukraine through cooking, #CookForUkraine, with her friend Alissa Timoshkina which has raised over £2 million pounds to date. She lives with her husband, food writer and photographer, Joe Woodhouse, and two sons in London.

You may also like