Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Growing up is hard enough. Growing up during a war

is, well, nearly unimaginable. Sam Walkman's novel, The Sunflower Boys, centers around a 12-year-old

Ukrainian boy during the Russian invasion, and he doesn't have to just keep himself alive, but those around him, too.

Now, we've been thinking about Ukraine in the context of this ongoing war for years, but Walkman

actually started writing this book before Russia invaded in 2022. And he tells NPR Scott Simon

about why it was important to keep and preserve an image

of pre-war Ukraine with this book. That's coming up.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts,

diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand

why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Artem is 12 and likes to spend summer days on his grandfather's sunflower farm,

swimming with his younger brother Yuri and sketching in a book his father has sent him from America.

But on a February night in 2022, they hear a wail of sirens and bomb blasts,

and after a night in the basement, they risk taking 10 minutes to pack up

what they can into backpacks and flee for their lives.

My reusable water bottle and Yuri's reusable water bottle, which has a Minecraft sticker on the

bottom to distinguish it from mine.

Yuri's stuffed crocodile Arcade, the framed photo of

me and Tato on top of Javierla, my phone, our headphones, my sketchbook. I go to the bathroom

to collect our toothbrushes and toothpaste. Our three toothbrushes sit together in a cup.

...