The Reading Group Reads...
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian By Marina Lewycka
THIS STORY involves two Ukrainian sisters, who have been raised in England by
their refugee parents - having arrived following WWII. With ten years between
them the two sisters have never gotten along, but after the death of their
mother, their aging father falls under the spell of Valentina, a bosomy
synthetic blonde from the Ukraine who is 48 years younger than he is. The
girls, Nadezhda and Vera, must join forces to oust the gold-digging Valentina
and her 'genius' son. As Nadezhda and Vera work together to save their
father old secrets are brought to the surface, including the most deeply buried
secret from the War, which explains why the girls are so different. The father
is oblivious to all that is happening on his account and continues to write a
history of tractors.
The participants of the evening enjoyed a lively discussion of Father and Valentina (companionship or true love) and the two girls. We also tried to draw an analogy between Valentina and the story of the tractor.
Add these dates to your diary and join us next month when we meet on 6 December 2006 at 8 PM to discuss The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco at Kent House. Bring some Christmas treats to share with everyone. January we will meet a week late on 10 January 2007 to discuss Mike Tidwell's The Ponds of Kalambayi. 8 P.M. at Brenda Wilson's home in Burwell. All are encouraged and welcome to join us.