Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, A
Lewycka, MarinaWhen two estranged sisters discover that their elderly father, a Ukrainian war refugee and expert on tractors, is planning to marry a young Ukrainian woman, they put aside their differences, and embark on a spirited campaign to stop him. But as the hostilities mount, old family secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of all. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage - a grand history of the tractor.
Comments from Groups
A likeable book which had a myriad of undercurrents and interesting characters with different perspectives on each other. Worth reading. Te Awamutu 003 Lively discussion. All agreed they learnt more about tractors than they thought they would. Interesting family dynamics. Cromwell 005 We loved this book. Most found it funny and the main characters although appearing rather over- the-top were at the same time believable. Palmerston North 006. Great book with a cast of amazing characters. Funny, sad, annoying yet we took them all to our hearts, even the Dad. Auckland 271 Hilarious, really enjoyed the lighthearted style and exaggerated characters. Northland 002 So many topics covered - historical events, care of the elderly, growing old, immigrants, family relationships and, of course, tractors. Tauranga 034 We particularly enjoyed the clever juxtaposition of 'tractor history' and the colourful plot with larger than life characters. Picton 002
Pages
336
336
Year
2006
2006
Reviews
14-03-2024
Some found it funnier than others. We liked the parallel storytelling.
31-07-2023
Loved it! We all loved the humour, whilst aware of the grief and darkness lying under the story. Great discussions.
31-01-2023
It caused us to have long conversations about the nature of marriage, and also what moral duty parents have to provide for their adult children, in their estates when they die. When answering some of the questions, we found the issues of the book to do with immigration very thought-provoking.
31-01-2023
On the whole people were disappointed with this book, although the reasons were varied. Some liked the narrative but felt the history of tractors was a distraction, and that it was too superficial to have been written by an academic. Others felt there was too much sordid detail in the family parts, and that the characterisation was not fair to the different personalities. We did all agree that the experience of migrants was well described. The mixture of tragedy and parody was not comfortable.
31-01-2023
We enjoyed the wry humour and developing relationship of sisters. The father was a believable old character, and the Ukrainian history interwoven gave added interest. Well-written.
31-01-2023
Enjoyable, funny characters, and a good discussion about the rights of the elderly.
31-01-2023
A couple of members had read this book before; both had found it funny the first time, and sad the second time. Mixed reviews - some loved it, others not so much!
31-01-2023
The group thoroughly enjoyed the book. However, most of us thought the humour was over rated. It was more of a tragic comedy and could have happened to any family in those kinds of situations.
31-01-2023
Most of the group enjoyed the book and several are keen to read more that this author has written.
31-01-2023
2/3 of our group thoroughly enjoyed this book. Provoked lots of discussion and revelations. Different perspectives gave us fresh insights.
31-01-2023
An unusual sort of humour, takes a while to get it. Some of us found the book sad rather than funny. Clever number of subplots; amazing accomplishment for a first novel.
29-11-2022
Mixed feelings over this. Some found it challenging due to the unkindness of Valentina towards Nikolai as well as finding the characters slightly annoying. Others found it funny and enjoyable. The author is clever in how she gets us discussing the way the characters interact with each other.
13-10-2021
Enjoyable read. Gave interesting insights into different generation's fears and feelings around difficult times. Made one of our group reflect on her own family's history. The link with the tractor history and how times may have been influenced by agricultural advancements and what happened to people was really interesting. Liked the study of the intergenerational dynamics. The issues raised are still very applicable to immigrants living in new countries. The interplay between the sisters was also interesting and lovely in the way the issues brought them together in the course of the book.
16-01-2019
Discussion went well. Book was enjoyed by most.
16-01-2019
It was reviewed as uproariously funny (Economist), but while there were some amusing snippets especially with the broken English dialogue, the themes of elder abuse and war tragedies were paramount in our minds.
16-01-2019
Our group had very different perspectives on this book. Some found it funny and could really relate to the immigrant perspective, while others found the gaps in the story frustrating, and the overall themes quite sad.
16-01-2019
An easy read, light hearted and a bit of a laugh.
16-01-2019
Most enjoyed reading the book, although a few detested all characters and couldn't find any empathy. The males in our group wished there was more about tractors. Overall we thought that the author did an amazing job in her description of characters - they came alive, including all their human flaws. Good read !!!
16-01-2019
Half of our group loved this book, finding it hilarious and the characters well developed. The other half found it exaggerated, and the tractor book extracts boring. However we all liked the exploration of social issues, such as abuse of the elderly.
16-01-2019
This book was enjoyed by all members of the group. The discussion questions were short and to the point, and generated good discussion. The group agreed that, although very amusing in places, the underlying current told a tale of abuse of an old man.