Purchased at Asia Books at Landmark Plaza, Bangkok for a book club meeting.

I agree with a comment made by a friend of mine, who also read this for our book group: it wasn't funny. The blurb on the cover, "extremely funny," seemed jarringly out of step with the actual book, which was more on the depressing side. It would take something other than broad Slavic accents to make the story of an 84-year-old man pathetically in lust with his 36-year-old "wife"--who only married him for a chance at British residency. Valentina in particular remained a caricature and the whole saga just seemed sad. What's funny about prison camps and World War II and parent-child dysfunction? In this book, certainly, not much.

I received this from 'Genevalove' when we met in Bangkok. It seems a curious book - strange title! so I look forward to reading it.

I think the author did well in depicting this immigrant family, probably because some of the characters remind me of people I know... and I can still hear the accents ringing in my ears!

I'm guessing that the book is partly autobiographical, and although the family history which is unearthed is shocking for Nadezhda to discover, in the process she understands much more about who her parents and older sister are, and why their relationships with each other have been so troubled.

I also wouldn't say this book is uproariously funny, but rather bitter-sweet. It was sad because I can imagine that many scenes were true to life: an eccentric, aging widower unable to take care of himself and living off microwaved apples; a beautiful garden going to ruin because the owner has passed away; a desperate clawing for money and possessions in order to be accepted and establish a 'better life'.

But there were also parts which made me smile - especially the magnificent punch-lines and made up Anglo-Ukranian phrases which pop up all over the place.

I won't forget this book.

I''m sending this to ''funsour'' in Canada, as a RABCK. Enjoy!

it took a while to journal this sorry
it arrived over a week ago
going to start it this weekend or when the students have silent reading periods next week in school :)
thanks for the RABCK

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

on a table between breads and produce