A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

Marina Lewycka

Mar 2006 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

THE AWARD-WINNING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

A hilarious, lively, moving and compassionate debut about one Ukrainian-British family's tumultuous relationship and the history they never knew.

'Delightful, funny, touching' Spectator

*****

"As Romeo and Juliet found to their cost, marriage is never just about two people falling in love, it is about families."

Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must aside a lifetime of feuding to save their widowed, tractor-obsessed Ukrainian father from the voluptuous, wealth-obsessed Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she outmanoeuvres the sisters at every turn.

But their campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of European and Ukrainian history, and sends them back to roots they'd much rather forget . . .

*****

'Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths' Daily Telegraph

'Captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed' Daily Express

'It's rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer' Time Out

Ratings and reviews

I first read this book when it came out and found it to be seriously laugh out loud funny, and so much more too. I've just bought this again as I'm in hospital and needed a good chuckle. It IS still a very good and engrossing book, but how world stage events have put a completely different perspective on this novel. It also feels very dated now as life in Britain is very different now too to what it was 20 years ago. I DO however recommend it as a good nighttime read.. I've just rebought Two Caravans by Marina too, and am interested to see how differently I see that story now too, esp since Brexit which once again I think may slant how I view the story maybe. Try it, for the couple of quid each as Google books you can't go wrong.

As an avid reader myself, I picked up this title thinking it sounds like a good read. Sadly, I was so wrong. This is the first book ever in my life I could not finish. Got 60% through and gave up. Translated into English terribly with absolutely no grip factor to the plot. Just don't buy.

When a busty blonde gold digger latches herself onto Nadia's 84yr widow father in the hopes of a UK Visa and a pampered life she stirs up some old family truths. By looking to the past Nadia faces the future and unites with her ruthless sister to oust "the tart". Heartwarming and funny read.

About the author

Marina Lewycka was born in Kiel, Germany at the end of the war and grew up in England. Her novels Two Caravans and We Are All Made of Glue are available in Penguin now.