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A review by jess_mango
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
4.0
I don’t really know much about tractors and frankly, tractors don’t really interest me greatly. If you are the same way, don’t let the title of this book turn you off from reading it…it is NOT a history of tractors. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a very readable and comedic debut novel by Marina Lewycka.
Lewycka’s novel was a witty, page-turner. I found it to be a very quick read. The story is populated with memorable characters. Through Nadia’s eyes, I can easily picture Valentina the gold-digger as she schemes to milk more and more money and possessions out of befuddled Nikolai. As the book proceeds though we begin to suspect that Valentina may not be as evil as Nadia sees her. The book does a great job portraying family dynamics between sisters, father and daughters and husband and wife. It shows the different experiences that family members have and how those experiences shape them and their relationships with each other. Nadia grew up in the UK and was not directly effected by the war, while her sister Vera who is 10 years older was deeply shaped by the war and life in work camps. As a result, Nadia is very much British in her mindset, whereas her sister and father have more of a Ukrainian way of thinking. Underneath the humor, Lewycka has created a complex story about family and the experiences of Eastern European immigrants in the UK.
Lewycka’s novel was a witty, page-turner. I found it to be a very quick read. The story is populated with memorable characters. Through Nadia’s eyes, I can easily picture Valentina the gold-digger as she schemes to milk more and more money and possessions out of befuddled Nikolai. As the book proceeds though we begin to suspect that Valentina may not be as evil as Nadia sees her. The book does a great job portraying family dynamics between sisters, father and daughters and husband and wife. It shows the different experiences that family members have and how those experiences shape them and their relationships with each other. Nadia grew up in the UK and was not directly effected by the war, while her sister Vera who is 10 years older was deeply shaped by the war and life in work camps. As a result, Nadia is very much British in her mindset, whereas her sister and father have more of a Ukrainian way of thinking. Underneath the humor, Lewycka has created a complex story about family and the experiences of Eastern European immigrants in the UK.