In this Ukrainian bestseller, now available in English for the first time, Yaroslav Hrytsak examines the first three decades (1856–86) in the life of Ivan Franko, a prominent writer, scholar, journalist, and political activist who became an indisputable leader in the forging of modern Ukrainian national identity. Hrytsak does so against the background of small communities—Franko’s family, his native village, his colleagues, the editors of periodicals for which he worked, and the revolutionary circles with which he interacted—during a time when multi-ethnic Habsburg Galicia evolved into several modern nations. This volume will remain a recognized standard for the study of the history of Ukraine and East Central Europe. Yaroslav Hrytsak is an historian, public intellectual, and author of several books and numerous articles. He is a professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, the director of the Institute of Historical Research at Lviv National University, and the director of the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Modern Ukrainian History and Society of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. He has also taught at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the Central European University (Budapest). He has received nine Ukrainian, Polish, American, or Austrian awards for his academic contributions and community involvement.