This May selection for our Page Turners book club was quite a surprise. I first thought surely it should be "tractors in Ukraine" but no, the title is actually of a book within the book. (Former engineer, Nikolai Mayevska, has a fascination with all things motorized, but particularly tractors and is writing a book---in Ukrainian.)
Main character, Nadezhda, is appalled when her 84-year-old father, Nikolai announces he is going to marry a 36-year-old Ukrainian woman. Nadia, as Nadezhda is sometimes called, is convinced the intended wife, Valentina, is a gold-digger and will be nothing but trouble. As it happens, this coming catastrophe brings Nadia back in contact with her sister, Vera, with whom she has been feuding since the death of their mother. The two of them become allies in trying to stop the marriage and when that doesn't work, to free Nikolai from Valentina's clutches.
I enjoyed the novel. I am rating it a 4. I learned more than I wanted to know about tractors, but large doses of humor made up for it. The story included some Central European history, as well, involving Germany, Russia and Ukraine. Very interesting in light of what is happening there currently.
More after the Page Turners meet to discuss the novel.
--------------------------------------------------
Sixteen Page Turners met today and enjoyed a fascinating discussion of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Our average rating was 3.7 with most individual ratings of 3 or 4 (the highest-rated book this year). Almost everyone found something to like about the novel and only a couple of members found it tedious, disjointed or too political. Many appreciated the layering of history, family dynamics and immigration issues. And most of us really liked the humor. One participant had visited Ukraine and had an elderly father involved with a much younger woman. Wow! How much more background could you need to get involved with this book?
No comments:
Post a Comment