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THE AWARD-WINNING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

A hilarious, lively, moving and compassionate debut about one Ukrainian-British family’s tumultuous relationship and the history they never knew.

‘Delightful, funny, touching’ Spectator

*****

“As Romeo and Juliet found to their cost, marriage is never just about two people falling in love, it is about families.”

Sisters Vera and Nadezhda must aside a lifetime of feuding to save their widowed, tractor-obsessed Ukrainian father from the voluptuous, wealth-obsessed Valentina. With her proclivity for green satin underwear and boil-in-the-bag cuisine, she outmanoeuvres the sisters at every turn.

But their campaign to oust Valentina unearths family secrets, uncovers fifty years of European and Ukrainian history, and sends them back to roots they’d much rather forget . . .

*****

‘Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths’ Daily Telegraph

‘Captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed’ Daily Express

‘It’s rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer’ Time Out

Publisher Review

A delightful first novel . . . an understanding of history, a profundity, and yet a lightness of touch, that are a joy . . . funny, touching and completely convincing * The Spectator * More than just a jolly romp with political undertones is the way it captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed, as well as very enjoyable reading * The Times * Thought-provoking, uproariously funny, a comic feast. A riotous oil painting of senility, lust and greed * TLS * Enthralling * Sunday Times * Wit, humour, sparkling dialogue, vivid characterization and generous spirit. Food for thought and a great read * Daily Mail * Memorably inventive, unexpectedly moving * Daily Telegraph * Hugely enjoyable . . . yields a golden harvest of family truths * The Times * A delightful first novel . . . an understanding of history, a profundity, and yet a lightness of touch, that are a joy... funny and touching * The Daily Mail * Hilarious * The Times * Mad and hilarious * Grazia * A clever, touching story * Economist * Ploughs a rich comic furrow * Daily Telegraph * Intelligent, lively, well written and compassionate * Financial Times * Extremely funny * The Times * Outstanding * Literary Review * An extraordinary read . . . nothing short of amazing. A rare treat, all too easy to gulp down in one greedy sitting * Spectator * Remarkable, a lovely novel * Sunday Telegraph * Funny, gritty, original ... one I adore * Independent * More than just a jolly romp with political undertones is the way it captures the peculiar flavour of Eastern European immigrant life . . . a very rich mixture indeed, as well as very enjoyable reading * Daily Express * It's rare to find a first novel that gets so much right . . . Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer * Time Out *