Sam Wachman, author of The Sunflower Boys [08/12/25]

Porter Square Books is excited to welcome Sam Wachman for his debut novel The Sunflower Boys.

This event will take place at our CAMBRIDGE store. We offer validated parking in the lot on Roseland St. behind Lesley's University Hall. See parking details below.

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ABOUT THE SUNFLOWER BOYS

A poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling with his sexuality as war breaks out in modern Ukraine.

In many ways, twelve-year-old Artem’s life in Chernihiv, Ukraine, is normal. He spends his days helping on his grandfather’s sunflower farm, drawing in his sketchbook—a treasured gift from his father, who works in America—and swimming in the river with his little brother, Yuri. In secret, Artem has begun wrestling with romantic feelings for his best friend, Viktor. In a country where love between two boys is unthinkable, Artem has begun to worry that growing up, his life will never be normal.

Then, on a February night, Artem and Yuri are woken by explosions—the beginning of a war that will tear their life in two. The invading Russians destroy their home, killing their mother and grandfather, and leaving young Artem and Yuri to fend for themselves. Fleeing in hopes of somehow reuniting with their father, the brothers traverse the country their ancestors once fought and died for, with nothing but their backpacks and each other. Surrounded by death and destruction, Artem is certain of one thing—that whatever may come, he must keep himself and his brother alive.

A harrowing and gorgeous tale of love, identity, lost innocence, and survival set in a time of devastating war, The Sunflower Boys is a powerful, heartrending exploration of young queer love, the Ukrainian spirit, and a family’s struggle to survive.

PRAISE FOR THE SUNFLOWER BOYS

A Harper's Bazaar "Best Beach Read" * A Forbes "Must-Read Book to Add to Your Summer List" —

“Two boys grappling with love in the war years and the loss of all they know… The Sunflower Boys is a heartrending and profoundly compelling testament to love’s invincibility. Wachman is a writer of boundless sympathies and boundless talent.” — Junot Díaz, Pulitzer Prize winning author of This is How You Lose Her

"In The Sunflower Boys, Sam Wachman has accomplished an extraordinary feat: he has written a novel full of wit and warmth that takes us deep into the violence, fear and deprivations of war-time Ukraine. Once I began reading about his passionate and eloquent narrator I couldn’t stop. All I wanted was for Artem, and his beloved family, to make it to a place of safety. A gripping and immensely satisfying debut." — Margot Livesey, New York Times bestselling author of The Road from Belhaven

"At a time when we are in need of writers who are as assured of their world as they are searching for a voice, Sam Wachman has given us a tender and powerful portrayal of a country’s, a family’s, a boy’s realization that there is little daylight between identity and community, innocence and fear, bravery and loss. Yet, we search for the light nevertheless. The Sunflower Boys walks that rare and beautiful tightrope of love story, war story, and coming- of-age, all along an unforgettable and unstoppable arc. We will still be reading this novel, years and years from now." — Andrew Krivák, author of The Sojourn and Like the Appearance of Horses

“Sam Wachman's first novel is an astonishing coming of age story written with the assurance and authority of a seasoned novelist yet captures the most impossibly tender moments of youth. Traversing both peace and war, this novel is an urgent missive from the front lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine told from the point of view of a brave boy on the cusp of his life." — Betsy Lerner, author of Shred Sisters

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Wachman is a writer from Cambridge, Massachusetts with Ukrainian roots. His short fiction has appeared in Sonora Review, Berkeley Fiction Review, and New England Review. Before writing The Sunflower Boys, he taught English to primary schoolers in central Ukraine and worked with refugee families in Europe and the United States.

PARKING

Porter Square Books: Cambridge Edition offers validated parking in the lot on Roseland St. behind Lesley's University Hall. Roseland Street is accessible by Beacon Street and Mass Ave. When you arrive at the lot, use the screen on the kiosk to get a ticket.

When you're ready to leave, ask for a validation barcode at the cash register. (No purchase necessary.) Parking is free on weekends and weekday evenings from 6PM-7AM. From 7AM-6PM on weekdays the first 45 minutes are free.

Upon exiting the lot, scan your ticket and choose "validation." Then scan the barcode your received from us. If you have an additional charge, you will be prompted to pay after scanning your barcode.

Sam Wachman, author of The Sunflower Boys

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Sam Wachman, author of The Sunflower Boys

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Sponsored events

Climb to the Roof of Crane Estate & Explore Historic Ipswich | Save 15% with Code BOSCAL15

Comedy at Summer Shack ($15 + Free Parking!)

Summer Concert Series & Beer Garden

Atlantic Wharf's Summer Bash