Filtered Visions

By Marina Lewycka
ISBN: 0141020520


A story of a family; their current life and their history, is portrayed in "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" in a unique and interesting style. I think that the easiest way to explain the main story line of this novel is by transcribing the opening paragraph of the book:

‘Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcee. He was eighty-four and she was thirty-six. She exploded into our lives like a fluffy pink grenade, churning up the murky water, brining to the surface a sludge of sloughed-off memories, giving the family ghosts a kick up the backside.'

The main narrative follows the partnership between the father (Nikolai) and the Ukrainian divorcee (Valentina) through the eyes of his daughter Nadia; however the romance is not as it seems which leads to an enticing tale of deception and mystery; and sisters united in removing this lady from their father’s life. The book is set in England, where the family moved from the Ukraine after the Second World War. Much of the comedy comes from the poor grasp of the English language; with Valentina making statements such as ' you plenty-money meanie. You want give me crap cooker.' In addition to situational comedy moments, such as the daughters anguish at hearing their fathers interest in Valentina's 'breasts like ripe peaches'. There flows enough comedy to keep you lightly tickled throughout.

I found the most compelling part of this book however to be the layers of story that had subtly been woven in. There was the present day drama of the father’s romance, which brought together his two daughters in a common cause, when they hadn't spoken for sometime previously. The development of the sisters relationship was interesting, but also allowed for a narrative on the history of the family, how they came to be in England and what happened during the War to the parents. At the same time, the father is writing his life’s work, a book by the same name of the novel (if you were wondering how that came into the story). Parts of his book on tractors are transcribed as he is reading them to anyone that will listen, and this gives another dimension to the story. The history of tractors is weaved into an overriding history of the Ukraine, technology and again, the war. All of these layers of story together, for me, made what was a book with a slow start, quite an enjoyable read once all was told.

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Favourite Quote:

Nikolai: ‘Nadia, if all women were to wear paint on their faces, just think, there could be no more natural selection. The inevitable result would be the uglification of the species. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?’

Phoenix, London; 2000

ISBN – 0 75380 951 6


Synopsis from Amazon:

This tale interweaves the lives of two unusual children: Esther, whose father walked out of her London home without a word; and Linus, bullied by his father, spoiled by his adoring but eccentric uncles and aunts, and growing up in Stockholm, longing to be an architect.
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Marika Cobbold wrote one of my favourite books, Shooting Butterflies, and since reading it, I have had it on my mind to find another of her novels. I have recently stumbled upon Frozen Music, written prior to the book above. I adored Shooting Butterflies, and Frozen Music didn’t disappoint, it was a very touching and rewarding read.

On the most part, the novel is written from the perspective of the main protagonist, Esther. Growing up in London, she had always been accused of taking life too seriously and had never understood what it is like to be in love. The novel also follows the life of Linus, a passionate architect from Sweden with a difficult history. Their lives have always touched owing to the friendship of their mothers; however their trajectory’s collide when Linus’ life’s dream comes up against Esther’s sensibilities.

Esther is not a traditional heroine, she is a complex character but one that is easy to understand and empathise with. The story is wholly engaging and pulls you through to the end, with enough drama and twists to keep you guessing right up to the last moment. I found myself reaching for the tissues on more than one occasion; however this is not an unhappy book and is in dispersed with light funny moments. It’s beautifully written, with descriptions that will stay with you long after the book is back on the shelf. I would recommend this book to anyone that’s likes a different take on a romantic story.

Favourite Quote:

Audrey: “I’m not surprised to hear you say Linus isn’t your type. You seem to have a preference for men with the kind of looks and personality that fail to engage your feelings too deeply”.