Journal Entry 1 by Fluffy-Owl from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Thursday, April 20, 2006

From the blurb:

"'Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous 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 rather forget..." 

Journal Entry 2 by Fluffy-Owl from Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Not the best book I've ever read. The plot just seemed to get sillier as it went along, and it was quite silly to start with. I think I now know too much about Flippy Floppy Squishy Squashy.

It's off on a Relay. 

Journal Entry 3 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Saturday, June 10, 2006

arrived safely today with a lovely postcard of a cathedral that looks very familiar...! Thanks for offering this one on the relays, Fluffy-Owl - I've added it to my frighteningly high Mt. TBR :-) 

Journal Entry 4 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Monday, August 07, 2006

This one has just received a quick promotion to the top of Mt. TBR :D
I will be reading it next, then posting it to KiwiinEngland as part of a trade...back soon(ish) with my comments! 

Journal Entry 5 by cats-eye from Bishop Auckland, County Durham United Kingdom on Monday, August 14, 2006

Aside from the fathers ramblings re: tractors, I found this to be a very enjoyable read! I adored Lewycka's wry sense of humour, and I thought her characters were (for the most part) well-written and very engaging. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was hooked into the story and by how much I liked it...a very quirky little book :)
I will be posting this out very shortly to KiwiinEngland as part of a trade - looking forward to seeing what she thinks of it, as it seems to be a "love it or hate it" thing so far
Thanks again, Fluffy Owl for offering this wishlist book on the relays!

ETA: posted today (21/08/2006) first class to KiwiinEngland! 

Journal Entry 6 by AnonymousFinder on Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Arrived safe and well. Thanks a lot.

CAUGHT IN MANCHESTER ENGLAND 

Journal Entry 7 by KiwiinEngland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Opps, had not logged in. Anyway, the book is still safe and well in Manchester. I received it the other day when I didn't have email.

Thanks 

Journal Entry 8 by KiwiinEngland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, October 03, 2006

I enjoyed this book, especially how the father interacted with the world. The two sisters seemed to have characters created that were purposefully opposite and some characters were irrelevant to the book (eg the three grandchildren).

The plot did get unlikely towards the end, especially the court room scene. But it was a fun read. I've passed it to my mother to read while she is visiting Ireland.
 

Journal Entry 9 by KiwiinEngland from Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Wednesday, February 21, 2007

I am taking this to Stockholm, Sweden to give to some friends and introduce them to Bookcrossing.

Part of the Around The World BC Challenge