Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka March 14th 2007

I’m looking forward to reading this one, having heard so many different opinions about it! We are hoping to get Marina Lewycka to include Wenlock Books in her tour dates around now, as she promotes her new book.

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(Marina has very kindly been in touch, but it looks unlikely that she'll manage a visit.)

This, for me, was one of those reading experiences where I just didn't "get it" while I was reading the book, and I had to keep asking myself what all the fuss had been about. I felt squeamish about a lot of it; didn't find it laugh out loud funny (as promised by the blurb) and really just didn't like it. Then we talked about it in the reading group, and as one or other of us read bits from the book, I found myself laughing with retrospective humour, and enjoying the cadences of the Ukranian/English language. We often find that talking about a book enables us to see things in it we hadn't seen before, but I don't think I've ever done such a complete u-turn!

Tractors addresses some very serious issues: Eastern-European immigration; family tensions; elder abuse; sibling rivlary; aging and power - or lack of it - and more. With a lightness of touch, and a good ear for invented language, Marina Lewycka explores some of today's hot topics. Reminiscent in some ways of Small Island by Andrea Levy, it's a book that shines a light on everyday life and makes us look at it twice.

As for my squeamishness, well I still really don't like the image of the naked old man saluting the sun, but, thanks to the 80+ year olds in my reading groups (who found it very funny); well, if they can laugh at it, so can I!