Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex — Oksana Zabuzhko

Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko, first published in 1996, became a literary sensation. It is called the first feminist novel in Ukrainian literature.

The protagonist, a Ukrainian poet in America, recalls her relationship with an artist. The love story grows into reflections on postcolonial trauma, the oppression of the Ukrainian man and woman, and how a country's history is inscribed in the body of each citizen.

The novel stands out for its boldness, formal innovation, and enormous influence on subsequent Ukrainian literature.