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28 “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2011 A GOOD READ Standing: Areta Woroch, p resident of Branch 30; Nadia Spi ak, Oksana Porodko, Luba Kuver, Iryna Hoshovskyj, Nadia Howansky, Martha Iwanczyszyn , Irena Hlushewsky, Marta Burachok Wacyk, Christine Sapka. Seated: Olia, Rudyk, Nadia Liteplo, Christina Cottler, Roma Wasylciw, and Maria Zenecky. Phot o by Ron Liteplo. __________________________ What constitutes a good book? The answer depends on the reader. Most of us will agree that a book needs a few basic elements to entertain our interest, i.e., plot and characters. We can be enlightened by eith er or both of these elements and often relate to them. Such a book, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian , written by Marina Lewycka, was reviewed and discussed by members and friends of Branch 30, Yonkers, New York, on February 16, 2011. The event was open to guests and attendance totaled 15. The author was born of Ukrainian parents in a refugee camp in Germany after World War II. Eventually the family moved to England and tried to assimilate into their new world. It wasn’t easy for Ms. Lewycka. Having been born in Germany she was abused by anti - German rhetoric from school children and her Ukrainian language and customs were ridiculed as well. Feeling secluded, Ms. Lewyc ka turned to writing. She became extremely observant of others, their behavior and h abits. Her writing was a world of her own where she felt comfortable. As an adult she came to realize the importance of her heritage and decided to explore her roots by returning home to learn all she could from her now elderly parents. Their conversations , along with observations of current immigrant behaviors, are the foundation for her novel. The book is a narration by Nadia (Nadezh - da), one of two daughters of a widower. She and her sibling are not exceptionally close and have differing views on most t hings, but they unite with a common goal. The sisters set out to prevent the upcoming marriage of their elderly father to a divorced and much younger blond bombshell from Ukraine. As the story progresses, the author ex - plores the relationships of the family me mbers and the intruder who attempts to invade their home. While dealing with her father whose eccentricities include a passion for tractors, Nadia learns much about past history and the social and political events that led to the hardships her parents endu red during the war. Ms. Lewycka uses humor to reveal family secrets, while exposing horrific historical events of Ukraine to the reader. The book review and discussion was led by Martha Iwanczyszyn, a librarian at the Mount Kisco, New York, library. It was interesting to hear the myriad views voiced during the evening on the book’s characters and plot. As Ukrainians, we felt a connection to certain characters and perhaps took sides too quickly. Relating to specific characters may have blinded some readers , a nd after the discussion ended a few members had second thoughts about re - reading the book from a different perspective. All in all, it was an interesting evening, and Branch 30 members are grateful to Martha Iwan - czyszyn for her input. We look forward to the next book assignment! Olia Rudyk Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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