ASHLAND — Rubble left behind after a Russian attack on civilians, a Ukrainian amputee continuing to play the sport he loves, widows mourning their husbands and vowing to defeat the enemy at all costs — these are the subjects and stories within Ashland-based photojournalist Christopher Briscoe’s latest book.

Titled “The Child on the Train: And Other Stories in War-Torn Ukraine,” the photo book follows the Ukrainian people and their stories following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Briscoe ventured to Ukraine on two separate occasions where he documented soldiers, civilians and others within the Eastern European nation. The recently released second edition of “The Child on the Train” expands on original stories while providing new stories and photos of persons living through war.

“You have to smell it, you have to hear it firsthand, you have to share the tears; I didn’t know that it was going to tap into something inside of me that I didn’t even know was there,” Briscoe said of his experience.

Briscoe will discuss his experience documenting the people of Ukraine during an upcoming author talk at the Ashland Library. The author talk is scheduled from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the library, located at 410 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.

“I’ve told these stories hundreds of times, and there are still ones that are just, this is going to be my biggest (challenge) during this talk at the library is not starting to bawl,” Briscoe said.

The photojournalist’s journey to Ukraine began in 2022 after a doctor friend invited him to join his team at the Poland-Ukraine border to document their humanitarian work aiding refugees. Briscoe agreed and booked a plane ticket within the hour.

Weeks later after the medical team disbanded and headed back home, Briscoe was shocked by the amount of Ukrainians returning to their homes despite the dangers. He decided to follow.

“I just crossed the border and never stopped,” he said.

Despite warnings of $10,000 bounties offered by Russia for Americans within the nation at war, Briscoe said he recognized an opportunity to capture the human experience behind his lens and learn about the daily lives of Ukrainians.

He returned to Ukraine again in 2023, further documenting civilian life during the war with new stories from new subjects.

Many of the stories and photos he took touch on the devastating reality of living in a war zone with millions of fathers, sons, uncles, mothers and daughters fighting on the frontlines.

“Imagine if everyone you met in your whole family circle and social circle had lost at least one member of the family to the war, or two, or a best friend; That’s the normal in Ukraine,” Briscoe said.

One aspect of the Ukrainian people Briscoe noted was their resilience and ability to all work together during times of crisis.

“The people of Ukraine deeply, deeply love their country,” he said.

On one page of Briscoe’s book is the story of violin player Nadia performing on the streets of Lviv and refusing to play the music of any Russian composer in protest. On another page is Roksolana, a psychiatrist who lost the love of her life yet continues a particular tradition memorializing their love.

“She goes to the cemetery about three times a week with two cups of coffee; she and her husband used to love to go out to coffee, so now she brings her deceased husband a cup of coffee,” Briscoe said.

For the second edition of “The Child on the Train,” the photojournalist brought new stories and new images while also expanding on previous subjects.

“There’s a little bit of both; there’s several new stories and then I just went through and made some important edits,” he said.

Briscoe is set to return to Ukraine once again in August, catching up with the people he met prior and seeking new stories to tell and capture.

“I just want to keep doing stories … the continuity is that every time I go back, more doors open,” he said.

Briscoe’s skill behind the lens has brought him around the world from Cambodia to the Horn of Africa. He’s photographed countless celebrities and cultural icons such as former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev, Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas and more.

Two aspects of humans Briscoe is immediately drawn to in his work are faces and hands.

“There’s nothing like the human face; to me the human face is the greatest landscape ever, every line and every gesture tells a story,” he said, adding, “I’m fascinated by the human face and lighting and the story that everyone has.”

“I love gestures, when people talk with their hands,” he added.

To learn more about Briscoe, visit chrisbriscoe.com.

For more information on his author talk at the Ashland Library, visit jcls.libcal.com or bloomsburyashland.com/event.

To purchase a copy of “The Child on the Train,” visit hillstationashland.com/products/the-child-on-the-train-by-christopher-briscoe.