The Land They Left Behind: Canada's Ukrainians in the Homeland

Jo-Anne Mary Benson’s quarterly column in Ottawa Parent magazine
focuses on books for children and parents.

The Land They Left Behind is a visual and literary celebration that can
be enjoyed not only by Ukrainian Canadians but also by anyone who enjoys
learning about different cultures. The book combines the expertise of
historical consultant and editor Stella Hryniuk; Jeffrey Picknicki, a
University of Manitoba graduate of Slavic Studies; and Czech
photographer Frantisek Rehor, who lived most of his life in Eastern
Galicia, a region of Ukraine.

Rehor’s vivid black-and-white photographs depict life in the late
1800s in the Eastern Galicia region. Together with Picknicki’s superb
narrative, they portray the industry, agriculture, celebrations, and
domestic and community life of a remarkable people. Included in this
extensively researched book is a record of the settlements where the
photographs were taken. This definitive historical study of the people
and places of the Eastern Galicia region is highly recommended for
school or public libraries.