When their Ukrainian grandmother is lost on a trans-Atlantic Flight, two sisters are swept into a quest across eastern Europe to find the woman who had always told more tales than truths. From Poland to Slovakia to Hungary and beyond, Larissa and Ira navigate the steps of Ukrainian folk dance, the cliff-side paths of Slovak Paradise National Park, and the stark realities of war, folktales, and feminism, all for the sake of chasing who they’re starting to believe is a true Baba Yaga. Understanding their family's roots has never been more clear. The setting’s mythic properties drift like ghosts in the humid air, hinting of the folktales the sisters whisper like codes of bravery. The nesting dolls they discover reveal how each woman becomes stronger when tucked one, within another, within another—forgetting lies and truths to seize upon history, love, and the familial traditions that have shaped them into who they are together. "Spisak's delightful fiction debut is a compelling tale of lost-and-found and enlightenment." -Leah Weiss , best-selling author of If The Creek Don't Rise and All The Little Hopes "A fascinating journey that twists and turns through the streets of contemporary Eastern Europe ... back into a shrouded and difficult past ... through a legacy of love." -Laisha Rosnau , author of Little Fortress and Our Familiar Hunger "Profound love collides with mystery and magic." -Solveig Eggerz , author of Seal Woman and Sigga of Reykjavik "A tender and thought-provoking story that demonstrates the countless ways that a woman can be strong. A timeless tale that will touch readers across generations and around the globe." -Sadeqa Johnson , International best-selling author of Yellow Wife "With hints of the fantastical, The Baba Yaga Mask is a multigenerational story of endurance and survival." -March/April 2022 issue FOREWORD MAGAZINE "In her novel, Spisak lyrically interweaves elements from Ukrainian culture, such as traditional dance, matryoshka nesting dolls, and tales. Each motif illuminates Vira's character, as with the dolls hidden within one another, speaking to her lifesaving abilities in disguise, deceit, and concealment. A complex, poetic tale, strongly linking past and present through folk art's rich traditions." -KIRKUS REVIEWS