Publication Date: June 2, 2023
Irina Balabanova is a beautiful Ukrainian girl, twenty-seven years of age and heartbroken. John Masters, a middle-aged American businessman, travels to eastern Ukraine on an ill-advised romantic venture, and is stranded in Kharkov with the onset of winter. Despite their wide differences of culture, language, and generation, the two are brought together in a whirlwind of love and adventure.
But their dreams of a life together are threatened by the acts of an extremely jealous Ukrainian State Security officer, who will stop at nothing to stop Irina from leaving their native country to marry an American. With perseverance and divine intervention, their love story unfolds in the most incredible way.
Inspired by actual events, Miracle From Ukraine is a story of international intrigue, faith, and romance.
Regardless of whether you believe in destiny and soul mates, there’s no doubt that the relationship between an American man and a Ukrainian woman unfolded under unusual circumstances.
Author James Herbert Harrison delivers a fictionalized story based on actual events in Miracle from Ukraine. His characters, John Masters and Irina Balabanova, are faced with a number of challenges that typically would have prevented them from even meeting.
The author traces Irina’s broken heart to a failed relationship with an American teacher working temporarily in Ukraine. At 27, Irina has almost given up hope on a happily-ever-after, especially since she spends her working hours trying to head off unwelcome advances.
Meanwhile, John travels to Ukraine in search of a bride at age 50. This aspect of the story is fascinating because he is working with an agency to help identify the right woman. A series of snafus puts John and Irina together. Thanks to technology, they can carry on a conversation and even become engaged.
However, a spurned security officer isn’t willing to let Irina go easily and throws up all sorts of barriers, including criminal charges.
Miracle from Ukraine highlights a beautiful romance that blossomed as an outcome of unintended events, leading the author to point to divine intervention.
James Herbert Harrison, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has lived and worked throughout the continental United States as a businessman and industrial equipment and software sales representative. He currently resides in Olathe, Kansas, with his wife, Maryna, and their thirteen-year-old son. James has an older son who remains in Cape Girardeau as well as two older step kids. The family are active and proud members of Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kansas.
James’ pedigree as a writer began ten years earlier with the publishing of his first novel. Quest For Power, a political thriller soon to be re-released as The Programmer. Miracle From Ukraine, a totally different departure in genre, was inspired by the real-life saga of James and Maryna, having experienced many of the actual events in the story. James is currently working on Escape From Ukraine, a dramatic and contemporary sequel.
Dear Amy, thank so much for the review. It sounds as though you truly enjoyed Miracle From Ukraine. May I post your comments on my website?
Absolutely! I look forward to the next installment.
Thanks sincerely! My next release will actually be a rather explosive romantic tale involving a young racing star who gets entangled with his sponsor’s teenage daughter. I will send you a pre-publication copy in a few weeks.