A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

by Marina Lewycka (Author)

Synopsis

'Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamourous blonde Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, bringing to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.' Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must put aside a lifetime of feuding to save their emigre engineer father from voluptuous gold-digger Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she will stop at nothing in her pursuit of Western wealth. But the sisters' campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of Europe's darkest history and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget...

$3.43

Save:$6.70 (66%)

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 326
Edition: 1st Penguin Edition
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 02 Mar 2006

ISBN 10: 0141020520
ISBN 13: 9780141020525
Prizes: Winner of Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2006 and British Book Awards: Newcomer of the Year 2005 and Saga Award for Wit 2005. Shortlisted for Orange Prize 2005.

Media Reviews
It's rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer * Time Out *
More than just a jolly romp with political undertones is the way it captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed, as well as very enjoyable reading * Daily Express *
Funny, gritty, original ... one I adore * Independent *
Remarkable, a lovely novel * Sunday Telegraph *
An extraordinary read . . . nothing short of amazing. A rare treat, all too easy to gulp down in one greedy sitting * Spectator *
Outstanding * Literary Review *
Extremely funny * The Times *
Intelligent, lively, well written and compassionate * Financial Times *
Ploughs a rich comic furrow * Daily Telegraph *
A clever, touching story * Economist *
Mad and hilarious * Grazia *
Hilarious * The Times *
A delightful first novel . . . an understanding of history, a profundity, and yet a lightness of touch, that are a joy... funny and touching * The Daily Mail *
Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths * The Times *
Memorably inventive, unexpectedly moving * Daily Telegraph *
Wit, humour, sparkling dialogue, vivid characterization and generous spirit. Food for thought and a great read * Daily Mail *
Enthralling * Sunday Times *
Thought-provoking, uproariously funny, a comic feast. A riotous oil painting of senility, lust and greed * TLS *
Author Bio
Marina Lewycka lives in Sheffield with her husband and daughter, and teaches at Sheffield Hallam University.