Marina Borodina’s new novel 'Against the Wind' published by Folio

Kharkiv, Ukraine — Folio Publishing House presents a new novel by Marina Borodina, Against the Wind — an intimate and inspiring story of love, strength, and gratitude, written entirely with her eyes through an eye-tracking device.

About the Author

Marina Borodina is a Ukrainian actress, TV presenter, and writer. A graduate of a prestigious acting school in Los Angeles, she worked in the United States before returning to Ukraine. In 2019, she was diagnosed with ALS, which has since paralyzed 70% of her body. Unable to write with her hands, she discovered a way to create through innovative Tobii Dynavox technology, which allows her to control a computer solely with her gaze.

Against the Wind was born from this extraordinary struggle and is already being hailed as a breakthrough in contemporary Ukrainian literature. Today, Marina continues to write, raise her two sons, support other patients, and prove that creativity transcends limitations — and that the will to live can overcome even the most difficult circumstances.

The novel blends fiction and autobiography: two parallel storylines — Marina’s own and that of Alex, an anthropologist and assault unit commander — gradually converge in a powerful climax. It is a journey through childhood, love, trials, illness, and hope, balancing between reality and fantasy. In the finale, the heroine considers a Neuralink implant, but an unexpected twist forces her to rethink the very meaning of life’s value.

“I didn’t write this book to tell a story about illness,” Marina shares. “I wanted to remind everyone: if your body works, you’ve already hit the jackpot. My story is about gratitude for even the simplest things.”

From the Author’s Preface

“I wrote this book with my heart. Not