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My Russian Grandmother And Her American Vacuum CleanerStock informationGeneral Fields
Special Fields
DescriptionFrom the author of the acclaimed novel A Pigeon and a Boycomes a charming tale of family ties, over-the-top housekeeping, and the sport of storytelling in Nahalal, the village of Meir Shalev's birth. Here we meet Shalev's amazing Grandma Tonia, who arrived in Palestine by boat from Russia in 1923 and lived in a constant state of battle with what she viewed as the family's biggest enemy in their new land- dirt. Reviews"Brimming with witty and playful mockery, Shalev's story is equally compassionate, an elegiac glimpse of the authentic Zionist pioneers. A genuine comic tour de force, it is also a marvelous meditation on the mysterious workings of memory and the intricate tapestry of familial connections." --Forward "Lighthearted yet meaningful . . . As I read this, I felt like I was one of Meir Shalev's cousins, sitting out behind his grandmother's house, listening to a great retelling of a story I knew by heart . . . A book for everyone." --Jewish Boston "Probably one of the most enjoyable books ever written about obsessive-compulsive disorder." --Haaretz (Israel) "Evan Fallenberg's translation is nimble and sensitive . . . At once a mystery story, a fascinating glimpse into what life was like for the Labor Zionists of the early twentieth century, a moving family memoir, and, above all, a vivid, affectionate tribute to Grandma Tonia, who must now take her rightful place as one of history's most redoubtable matriarchs. Unfailingly charming."--Words Without Borders"A loving and humorous family story about Israel's pioneers and their offspring." --Die Welt (Germany) "An unconventional and quite hilarious family scrapbook . . . Shalev's reflections on quirky uncles, family squabbles, the rich history of his Jewish heritage, and the legacy of the omnipresent American vacuum cleaner touch the heart and tickle the funny bone." --Kirkus Reviews |