coming April 23, 2024

A riveting Debut novel based on real events

pre-order today

Your Presence is Mandatory is a riveting debut novel that tells the story of a Ukrainian Jewish World War II veteran with a dangerous lifelong secret, the repercussions for his family, and the grace they find in the course of their survival.

“At once a historical epic, an engrossing family saga, and an astute examination of morality, survival, hope, and love, Your Presence is Mandatory is a stunning feat.” — Lara Prescott

“Vasilyuk’s impressive debut chronicles the tribulations of a Ukrainian Jewish WWII veteran and his widow’s distress in the early stages of the 2014 Russo-Ukrainian War.” — Publishers Weekly

also coming to France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Brazil in 2024


more about Your presence is mandatory

Ukraine, 2007. Yefim Shulman, husband, grandfather and war veteran, was beloved by his family and his coworkers. But in the days after his death, his widow Nina finds a letter to the KGB in his briefcase. Yefim had a lifelong secret, and his confession forces them to reassess the man they thought they knew and the country he had defended.

In 1941, Yefim is a young artillerist on the border between Soviet Union and Germany, eager to defend his country and his large Jewish family against Hitler’s forces. But surviving the war requires sacrifices Yefim never imagined—and even when the war ends, his fight isn’t over. He must conceal his choices from the KGB and from his family. Spanning seven decades between World War II and the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, Your Presence Is Mandatory traces the effect Yefim’s coverup had on the lives of Nina, their two children and grandchildren.

From Germany's prison camps and forced labor system to the Soviet culture of pride and paranoia, Sasha Vasilyuk shines a light on one family caught between two totalitarian regimes, and the grace they find in the course of their survival.


about me

I am a journalist and author who grew up between Ukraine and Russia before immigrating to San Francisco at the age of 13. I have a MA in Journalism from New York University and have written for the New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Los Angeles Times, Time, the Telegraph, USA Today, KQED, and elsewhere. Your Presence is Necessary is my debut novel.