“Stirring.
Brilliant.
Soulful.”
"An Orwellian tale, evoking the very essence of Ukraine’s fight for freedom and our right to exist.”
– Kira Rudyk
Leading Ukrainian member of Parliament
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Inspired by true events in Ukraine
Oksana Shevchenko remembers life as it once was.
Before the War.
Before the Invaders stripped her freedom away.
Before the Motherland decided to take what wasn’t hers, and call it her own.
As the leader of the local Union, thirty-one-year-old Oksana has met her match in enemy officer Lieutenant General Mikhailovich, who will stop at nothing to win glory for the Motherland—and himself. After he captures the city of Heryvin, the young, ambitious Mikhailovich forces Oksana and her Union comrades to operate the local nuclear power plant for the Motherland’s gain, while sapping its capacity to operate safely. It’s a nightmare for a city still reeling from the disastrous Accident that took the lives of dozens—including Oksana’s father—decades before.
Caught between her loyalty to those resisting the Occupation and a nuclear catastrophe threatened by increasingly impossible orders, Oksana must find a way to defeat Mikhailovich before his sadistic determination leads him to doing the unthinkable. But Oksana might not be alone in her fight, because war makes heroes out of the ordinary and the unlikely.
A grandmother defiantly waving the colours of her nation.
A school principal offering a safe haven for students dreaming of brighter futures.
A young adult choosing courage in the face of mortal danger.
A country quietly showing that glory belongs to those who dare to hold on against impossible odds. Because one day soon, the sun will set on dictators. And the sun will rise on freedom once again.
Inspired by true events in Ukraine, The Sun Will Rise is a tribute to those bravely fighting for their freedom—and ours.
Praise for The Sun Will Rise
“A love letter to the human spirit, Zelinsky’s deeply personal coverage of Russia’s invasion comes to life in this stunning first novel. An affecting story about the humanity behind the news.”
– Wayne Swan
President of the Australian Labor Party, former deputy prime minister, and world finance minister of the year
“Zelinsky’s outstanding journalism transported Russian brutality and Ukrainian bravery from the battlefront to our homes. Now, this story gives us a reason to hope.”
– Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko
Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia
“Misha Zelinsky has penned a gripping book that, although fictional, depicts the courage, strength, and conviction of the Ukrainian people fighting for their freedom and sovereignty. Once you pick up The Sun Will Rise, you will not be able to put it down. It is an exciting read.”
– Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky
Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs (2001–2009)
“A gripping page-turner set in Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion. Misha Zelinsky has captured the bravery and humanity of Ukrainians living under occupation as well as the callousness and cynicism of Vladimir Putin’s soldiers. Original, compelling, and topical, The Sun Will Rise is an impressive novel that brings to life recent history.”
Award-winning foreign correspondent with the Guardian and New York Times bestselling author of Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival.
– Luke Harding
“Zelinsky has turned his superb war reportage into a riveting first novel, inspired by real people and events, but transcending them to convey the heart behind the conflict. If you want to know why Ukrainians fight and why it's our fight too, this is the place to start. Reminiscent of Disraeli — a novelist turned British statesman — a writer with such soul, who knows what makes people and countries great, would be a rare addition to our public life.
28th Prime Minister of Australia.
– The Hon. Tony Abbott
About the Author
Misha Zelinsky is a leading expert on the rise of global authoritarianism.
A Fulbright Scholar, economist, lawyer, and author, Misha spent 2022 and 2023 covering Russia’s invasion from inside Ukraine as a war correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. For this work, Misha is personally sanctioned by the Putin regime.
A graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, he is an expert associate at Australia’s National Security College. Misha is a director of AustralianSuper, an industry superannuation fund with over $300 billion under management.
Thanks to his time leading the Australian Workers’ Union— Australia’s oldest blue-collar trade union — Misha has been a senior political figure with a reputation for expertise in supply chain sovereignty, national security, industrial policy, countering foreign interference, international trade and energy security.
As a contributor to MSNBC, BBC, and ABC, Misha’s work features in Australian and international print publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph, Foreign Policy and The Times. His five-thousand-word profile reported from inside President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown won wide acclaim.
Misha is a regular columnist for The Australian Financial Review, writing on the future of democracy, Australian domestic policy, national security and geopolitics. He is the host of popular foreign policy podcast ‘Diplomates – A Geopolitical Chinwag’, a show that regularly features in Australia's top 10 podcasts.