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"A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" has a title that is sure to raise a few eyebrows - I often read in trains, and fellow commuters who happened to glance at my book seemed to be in a dilemma about deciding whether I am an eccentric tractor historian or just a crazy nut. That's often followed by a look of satisfaction when they decide on the latter, as I invariably burst out laughing at some amusing line in this fabulously enjoyable book. This is a book worth braving the odd stares for - what do they know! This is definitely one of the most hilarious books I have read in a long time.

If you buy this book expecting 200 pages on tractors, you are bound to be disappointed. What you will find, though, is a fascinating tale of an old Ukrainian immigrant in London, and his misadventures with a young Russian gold digger, who would do anything for a passport in the West. Nikolai, an eighty-four year old eccentric engineer, hell bent on recording the history of Ukrainian tractors is full of crazy ideas, the latest one being his infatuation for Valentina, who is less than half his age. Valentina, with her "Botticellian breasts" explodes into Nikolai's life like a "fluffy pink grenade" turning his life upside down, much to the consternation of his two daughters Nadezhda and Vera. Nadezhda and Vera are as different as two siblings could be, and haven't spoken to each other for almost two years, but they find a common enemy in Valentina and decide to pit their wits together in their battle against her. Add all these colourful characters together, not to mention Valentina's ex-husband Dubov, her lovers Bald Ed, Eric Pike, the young attorney Laura Carter, the old neighbour Mrs.Zadchuk and several others, and you get a story that is entertaining and engaging, from the first page to the last.

Sad as the setting may be, realistic as the situation is, rich as the characters are, it is the outlandish way in which Lewycka has chosen to tell the tale that makes the book truly outstanding. Even while you laugh at Crap Car and Squishy Squashy Flippy Floppy and Mrs. Flog-'em-and-send-'em-home, you can't help but feel the tinge of pain and sadness, the silent desperation and loneliness that Valentina and Nikolai must have felt in their respective lives. These are not extraordinary people; they are just your average Joe and Jane, but just with an extraordinary tale.

Don't let the humour fool you - the novel bravely touches on many deeper issues of the head and heart - cruelties of the war and "correction blocks", burdens of family history, the clash of capitalism and communism, complexity of sibling relationships and more. It gives a
glimpse of the tragic events that some of the main characters have survived, the dark memories that they refuse to refer to - the famine, Nazi occupation, Stalin's purges, Babi Yar, and the irony of projecting them in the background of what is largely a comical story, will not be lost on most readers. The deep longing every immigrant feels for his home country is well apparent in Nikolai, as is the difficulty and discomfort that Nadezhda and Vera, well-assimilated immigrants, experience when they have to deal with more recent immigrants, as with Nadezhda and Vera. The broken English used in the conversations in the book add a certain colour and originality to the book.

Funny and sad, thats how I would describe the book. It's one of a kind and definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys a good laugh.

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If you liked this book, you may also like "The Harmony Silk Factory" by Tash Aw, "A Long Long Way: A Novel" by Sebastian Barry or "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith.