Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka

I have to confess that I put off reading this for ages. I had quite enjoyed A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, although I had felt that it had not lived up to its expectations, and had been overhyped. This book also had the twin enticement/put off of a Malawian character. I had picked up the book a long, long time ago, and had been both entranced by references to Zomba, but also concerned that this character would be some sort of patronised cliche.

I needn't have worried. The character is a very warm one, and since the other characters are also immigrants, is not picked out for special patronisation. All the characters are funny, curious, independent and individual. The settings are poignant with many causes for black humour. Lewycka deals as much with chicken farming as she does with developing love stories, and the book is all the better for it.

I would highly recommend this book - it is much better than Tractors.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

Hmm. This was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Hmm. An interesting book, certainly, and I did not know about the Ukrainian famine and the hardships faced by Eastern European families as described here ... but, I feel there has to be a but! Perhaps there was too much hype surrounding the book. I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy the book, but compared to the feeling I have when a book has to be devoured, or the exquisiteness of Cold Comfort Farm, or the romanticness of Jane Austen, or the magic of Jostein Gaarder ... well, I suppose it's like comparing a kebab to a gourmet three course meal. Perhaps I just didn't "feel it", as my pupils would say.

I had wanted to read this for a while, and eventually bought the book in a motorway service station shop as part of a "buy one, get one half price" offer, when my husband was buying another book.

Right. The next one will be on the 1001 Books list ...