Journal Entry 1 by Lilo37fee on Saturday, September 09, 2006

What the title does not show is, that the book is not only a short history of tractors -which it indeed includes- but also a very lifely family story about an old man, immigrant from Ukraina in England, who falls in love with a young woman from Ukraina. His daughters do everything to stop their father from marrying the woman who obviously only seems to be engaged for financial reasons. All the reviews describe the book to be funny, enjoyable and delightful. It is all of this, but I still found it a little bit tireing on some parts in the middle. In the end however I found it absolutely interessting, touching and also disturbing. And it left me with a lot of thinking about the two sisters and how their life was set up so differentely.

The beautiful book that I bought in Ireland on my holiday in Dingle was recommended to me from another traveller I met - and it will travel on, being a bookring.

1.readingtrix (South Afrika)
2. glade1 ( USA)
3. rootmartin (USA)
4. pammykn (USA)
5. valerief (USA)
6. raeliz64 (UK)
7. teuffi (UK)
8. Pandamao (Germany)

...
And you?

And then back to me. 

Journal Entry 2 by readingtrix from Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa on Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Thank you. I received this book unharmed today (cheerful postcard of children having some outdoor fun included). This is a bookring and I will read it soon and then forward it to the next person on the list.

2nd October 2006 - I have just sent this book by airmail to Glade1 - Hope it gets there safe and sound and that you enjoy it as much as I did - It put a smile on my face and I learnt much about not only tractors, but also about loyalty, responsibility and care in a family. 

Journal Entry 3 by glade1 from McLeansville, North Carolina USA on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Received in the mail yesterday along with a nice card and note from readingtrix. Thanks! There are a couple of rings ahead of it but I should get to it soon. More later... 

Journal Entry 4 by glade1 from McLeansville, North Carolina USA on Tuesday, November 07, 2006

FINALLY finished this one. It took me a while to get into it, but I think it was due to my mindset and not the book itself. Once I immersed myself in it, I enjoyed it. The cover quotes The Times as saying it is "extremely funny" and the Daily Telegraph calling it "mad and hilarious." I waited a long time for the hilarity and never did find it. The storytelling is lighthearted in its way but I found most of the characters to be a bit tragic. I could sympathize with the narrator in wanting to shake her poor father--argh! But I also felt some pity for Valentina just as Nadia did.

One passage near the end struck me:

When I was young, I wanted my father to be a hero. I was ashamed of his graveyard desertion, his flight to Germany. I wanted my mother to be a romantic heroine. I wanted their story to be one of bravery and love. Now as an adult I see that they were not heroic. They survived, that's all.

"You see, Nadezhda, to survive is to win."

He winks, and the scar-wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes crease with merriment.

So I did not find the story to be very humorous, although it certainly had a wacky cast. But I did find it touching and interesting. I was caught up in the events and read eagerly to see what would happen next. And I guess for me that makes a good book!

I have PMed rootmartin for an address to move this along. Thank you, Lilo37fee, for sharing it!

Update 11-27-06: Finally mailed this out to rootmartin today via media mail. I apologize for the delay! 

Journal Entry 5 by rootmartin from Marlborough, Massachusetts USA on Saturday, December 02, 2006

Just received this book today. I've got two bookring books in line before it but should get to it within a couple of weeks. Thanks for sending it along! I'm looking forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 6 by rootmartin from Marlborough, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, December 21, 2006

This was a very interesting read. It was not at all what I expected it to be. As previous readers have mentioned, I, too, did not find it hilarious or exceptionally funny. Instead, I found it somewhat touching and bittersweet. My favorite part were the final chapters in which I felt as though the missing pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were filled in.

In many ways, though, this book was a more honest representation of how people experience life than most books are. As we go through life, we have many experiences that may feel disjointed and yet, we view all of them through the lens of our own lives. We may not understand why others respond the way that they do to the same situations and that is all due to our own histories.

Most books fill in the blanks as they go along whereas this book left us to experience the story one would in real life if one were a confidant of Nadia's. I think that I'll appreciate this book more and more as I reflect on it.

I'm mailing it out to pammykn today.

 

Journal Entry 7 by pammykn from Decatur, Alabama USA on Thursday, December 28, 2006

Thanks rec'd today. Look forward to reading soon. 

Journal Entry 8 by valerief from Forest Hills, New York USA on Monday, January 08, 2007

Thanks pammykn! I have a couple of rays ahead of this but I should get to it by the end of this month. 

Journal Entry 9 by valerief from Forest Hills, New York USA on Tuesday, January 30, 2007

This was such a cute, light-hearted book despite the sometimes sad circumstances that are recalled by the characters. I quite enjoyed it. Before I sent to raeliz64, my boyfriend is borrowing it. I will make sure he takes a week or so to read it so that I can pass it on swiftly. Enjoy!

UPDATE 2/13/2007: My boyfriend finished reading this. He may or may not post a journal entry :). This is off to raeliz64. The economy surface mail has been very fast lately, so it should arrive in a week or so.

UPDATE 2/22/2007: I have been shackled to my desk for the past week and a half :( - this will go out first thing on Monday. Thanks for your patience. 

Journal Entry 10 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 03, 2007

Received today, thanks very much. 

Journal Entry 11 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 08, 2007

Like most people I didn't think the book was particularly funny, mildly amusing in places, but not hilarious. It was very poignant at times and I enjoyed it very much. 

Journal Entry 12 by raeliz64 from Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 10, 2007

Posting on to teuffi today. 

Journal Entry 13 by teuffi from Wandsworth, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, March 17, 2007

Book received in the post this week. I have a couple of books to finish before getting to this one but looking forward to it! Thanks raeliz64 for passing on! 

Journal Entry 14 by teuffi from Wandsworth, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, April 14, 2007

Thanks so much for sharing this book, Lilo37fee!

I really enjoyed the story, it was so not what I expected, and so funny! Scary as well in a way, but definitely a great read!

Will contact Pandamao and send the book as soon as I have the address!

Thanks again for sharing! 

Journal Entry 15 by teuffi from Wandsworth, Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Sent the book to Pandamao today. Thanks again to Lilo37fee and raeliz64! 

Journal Entry 16 by Pandamao from München, Bayern Germany on Sunday, April 22, 2007

has arrived in Munich yesterday - thanks! 

Journal Entry 17 by Pandamao from München, Bayern Germany on Tuesday, May 22, 2007

It was fun to read the story, I was really curious what things would Valentina do next .... and also somehow touching how the two sisters slowly got to understand each other better (including the relationship to the father). All in all: a very nice read. 

Journal Entry 18 by Pandamao at BookRing in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Bayern Germany on Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (5/24/2007 UTC) at BookRing in -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Bayern Germany

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 19 by Wassilissa on Monday, May 28, 2007

Thank you for joining the Book-Ring. Now the book will have a rest in my shelf....