A SEA OF GOLD

A SEA OF GOLD by Patricia Polacco

Make sure you see the HEADS UP section at the end of this post

A Sea of Gold is another moving book by Patricia Polacco involving some of her family's amazing history. This time she weaves a memorable story based on her family from Ukraine. She shares the stories of multiple generations who were peaceful sunflower growers dedicated to strong family bonds. One day, Russia invaded Kyiv. Family members were lost, the farm burned, and it was no longer safe to remain in their beloved homeland. The family had to emigrate from Ukraine to the United States. This transition was very devastating for some of the family, That is, until they realized that an unknown piece of home came with them helping them bridge their two countries together.

HEADS UP - Patricia Polacco mixes together some of Ukraine's traditional pre-Christian (pagan) beliefs along with their Christian faith in this story. A large oak tree (referred to as "she" due to spirit worship) in the center of the village is considered to be holy and is worshipped. It is believed that the tree was chosen by God to protect them. Sometimes the people bring offerings to the tree. This is mentioned multiple times in the story. My recommendation is before reading this book to your child, make sure your child is old enough to have a discussion about other religions without causing confusion. Obviously an interesting discussion can come out of this about the fact that the family is forced to emigrate due to the Russian invasion.