A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen

The book, “A Terrible Country” by Keith Gessen, is an impressive work of fiction that details the life of an immigrant Russian Andrei, whom moves back to Moscow to take care of his grandmother after almost 30 years in the US. The reader learns early on that the grandmother is struggling with dementia, a theme that runs through the entirety of the novel. The two main aspects of the book, are this [dementia] and the trials and tribulations of life in modern day Russia. 

 “A Terrible Country” is saying that refers to how Andrei’s grandmother describes Russia, after having spent the entirety of her life there, starting with the years of Stalin and total oppression. The irony in the novel is that the oppressive state worked better for the grandmother than the new more “democratic” and “liberalistic” regimes that Russia has had since Stalin. This is something Andrei also finds to have a strong resonance through the people he ends up spending his time with. The novel gives an impressive insight in how the daily lives are affected by Putin and the stronghold he also has on the country. Furthermore, Gessen does well to touch upon how the scholars in the country all are able to see how money is what makes the country sick, but still are afraid to leave the world of work and money behind. Even Andrei, we learn, becomes more of an anti-hero in this regard.

 The theme of dementia is also very well covered. Not only does Gessen manage to cover the sickness from both the perspective of Andrei as the family member, but in also in a very clear way from the perspective of the grandmother. The reader feels like Andrei’s experience in Moscow one big metaphor for how the early stages tend to affect the mind. Every time Andrei feels at home in Moscow, or as if the city is finally treating him well, an event occurs which will throw our main character back to square one. This draws clear parallels with the grandmother in the story. As Andrei begins to suspect that she is remembering him, his mother, the country, or in general improve her awareness, the next day will feel completely different. This allows for the reader to get lured into a sense of comfort, only to get shot back to reality, the same way the disease seems to affect the grandmother.

 Overall, a great read. This is especially for other readers fascinated with the current affairs in Russia, and how the people of Russia feel, being called “the puppets of Putin” by the media in the west. Moreover, a very well written intricate story, that will guide you through the life of Andrei.

Reviewed by Gustav Groot

Happy reading! 

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF A Terrible Country  by Keith Gessen

It’s easy to be cynical about memoirs in general and those of world leaders (and first ladies) in particular.  Did they write them themselves; how much can they truly reveal, how honest can they really be? I therefore embarked on Michelle Obama’s much hyped memoir Becoming with what I deemed to be a healthy dose of skepticism. 

After eight years in the White House we still knew little about Michelle Obama and reading Becoming makes it clear just how intentional that was. She was known to be a private person, a fierce protector of her family; there were rumors of her strong opinions and outspokenness. None of that was a surprise, really. Here was a strong, well-educated woman from the South Side of Chicago moving into the White House as the first African American first lady married to the first African American president. Nothing about that says quiet, shy and retiring.

Michelle Obama’s life is well known by now. How she and her brother grew up in a small upstairs apartment of a small house in Chicago with supportive, loving and, above all, hard working parents. How she arrived at Princeton where she experienced what it was like being the only black woman in the room; how she met Barack Obama at the law firm where she was working; how she soon realized the her husband’s destiny and drive were inevitable, and how he was meant for a different and inescapable kind of greatness that would soon dictate and change not only his but her life forever. 

Becoming feels like a very genuine book. It’s easy to hear Michelle Obama’s voice and to sense the struggles, doubts and major leaps of faith that at times are similar to those of any couple, such as work/life balance discussions, marriage counseling, infertility issues and at times are recognizable only to a very select group of people: those who get to inhabit the White House. While the problems facing Michelle Obama seem surreal at times, the solutions and her inner debate to solve them feels very real and relatable.

Reading Becoming confirmed everything I thought I knew about Michelle Obama. She is strong, she does have strong opinions, she will fight for what she believes in and she is fiercely protective of her family, especially her daughters. 

What I didn’t know and what was surprising was just how honest she was willing to be in her memoir. Also, how outgoing and social she is, how she loves hanging out with her friends and how it took some getting used to being married to a guy, whose idea of a fun Saturday night is to stay home and read a book!

Becoming is a fun, fascinating read about Michelle Obama’s journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House - and beyond. Its full of fun facts and stories about the importance of family, the struggle to survive, the value of hard work, the beauty of sharing your life with a soul mate and the utter strangeness of being a first lady. 

More than anything the aptly named Becoming shows the strength of a value driven life; of how principles and moral standards instilled in you by your parents and your experiences - good and bad - growing up and making your way in the world shape you and help you become the person you were meant to be. And finally how those same values will guide you and serve as a touchstone when things don’t go as planned. Which as it turns out happens A LOT in politics.

Happy reading! 

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF Becoming  by Michelle Obama  

Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy by Lara Williamson

Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy is a truly emotional book, with pages and pages filled with intricate writing and detailed descriptions, all communicated through Adam Butters’ hilarious perspective on one particular period of his life. Adam Butters lives in Pegasus Park, is eleven years old, loves comics, and lives with his family, his dad, his mum and his two sisters, Minnie and Velvet, who has an invisible dog. Adam is adopted, and that's no secret for him. However he soon is curious to find out his true origins, his real mum. Somehow he finds out by reading his birth certificate. But that is not enough for Adam, so he sets on a quest to find his biological mother although during it, he is obstacles by many controversial thoughts and events. Adum is however helped by his best friend, Tiny Eric a polish kid who is massive in stature, but has a kind and upright caring heart, and a talent for drawing.  But before that he wants to be a superhero, to make everyone happy especially his mum which is in a very downright negative and sad mood. To become a superhero he has come up with five “easy steps to becoming a superhero”. Not all of them go exactly as planned, and finding his mother gets more and more impossible and challenging. But can Adam become a superhero - and find his mother?

My favourite character in this novel is Adam butters, the magical main character of this story. All due to his caring heart, a lovable family which is very affectionate to him. And his obvious open mind and flexibility to new environments. In second place is Tiny Eric, Adams best friend, his talent for drawing is a treat that I  immensely admired throughout the story , and his humongous heart which is naked to the human eye, however that heart of his does have a few twists and turns which are later revealed in the story. I recommend this book to readers of all family based books, for example The Parent Agency by David Baddiel and I Swapped My Brother On The Internet by Jo simmons which I also reviewed. You can check it out at Books & Company!

Reviewed by Lahiri Paolella (Aged 11)

Happy reading! 

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy by Lara Williamson  

Lanny by Max Porter

A curious boy; tangled in the trees, wild and free.

Lanny is far from most children his age; playful yet profound, uttering the most deeply philosophical ramblings, through sweet childlike hums and innocent whispers. A boy who almost seems to slip through the fingers of anyone trying to grasp him, the mere idea of Lanny, one that is so incredibly abstract and celestial to even fathom.

Lanny by Max Porter, is one of those books where I have absolutely no idea how to begin to describe it, because of just how confusing, confounding and charming it is. A book that picks apart the inhabitants of a mysterious english village, soaking up its chatter and gossip. A village belonging to Mad Pete, the whimsical village artist, to ancient Peggy, forever prattling at her gate, to little Lanny, always on the move, for his soul craves new soil to taste, new trees to climb, new beginnings and endings.

One of the strangest yet most fascinating books I have read, Lanny by Max Porter is a perfect escape, to a place that seems so close to home yet still so far away.

Reviewed by Vindhya Kathuria

Happy reading! 

RESERVE YOUR COPY OF Lanny by Max Porter