Marina Lewycka is a middle-aged lecturer turned novelist in Britain, but her Ukrainian origins define her first novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. And if you’re a fan of the Ukraine or hope to travel there soon, this book can give you many insights into the patchwork history of Ukraine in the twentieth century, as well as reminding us all of the challenges and difficulties facing immigrants wherever they move.
What You Can Learn About Ukraine
Don’t be too misled by the title: you will learn something about tractors through this novel, but much more about Ukraine, through the experiences of a family of Ukrainian immigrants to Britain. Nikolai is an elderly man at the time of the story, born in Ukraine and experiencing hair-raising situations throughout World War Two, before finally being able to settle with his wife and two young daughters in England. The experiences of Ukrainians during the war, and especially the life in working camps during wartime, are worth reading about.
But this great novel brings us up to date with modern times in Ukraine, too, through the character of Valentina. A big, blonde, busty Ukrainian, she comes to England to convince twice-her-age Nikolai to marry her so she can get a visa for her and her teenage son to stay in the UK. The novel’s narrator reflects at length on the situation in Ukraine after 1990, and more than one character echoes the idea of life being somehow better (or at least easier and more predictable) under communism than capitalism.
Throughout the story, anecdotes from life in Ukraine abound, spread from Kyiv to the countryside. You’ll get a good feeling for the family values of Ukrainians and some of the struggles they face in gaining independence from Russia. And on top of that, you’ll get a good few laughs (and learn something about tractors).
A must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about the Ukraine, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian may not quite be travel narrative, but it’s definitely one of the best insights into Ukraine around.
