A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

This was an amusing little light-reading diversion for the women’s auxiliary chick-lit club of Skokie, Illinois.  The “Skokie Women’s Discussion Group” met yesterday (2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of every month).  They love these stories that portray all men as bumbling idiots, easily swayed by any wiggly pair of “knockers.”  These stories that cast men with rock-solid egos, albeit with sometimes squishy other parts.  Besides work, these men play and watch games, and eat a lot.

This fictionalized memoir reads more like a series of neighborly chats at the checkout queue of the local Sainsbury’s, with the focus of the week being one of three alternating points: 1) sisterly bonding; 2) 20^th century Ukrainian history; and 3) a generous helping of Judge Judy.  All in all, I thought Marina’s writing style was “cute and entertaining.”  It’s a harmless book that can be read quickly or intermittently as the mood suits one.  I will recommend it to my sister, who wouldn’t miss a Judge Judy episode; she loves the sheer crassness of those who would seek J.J.’s opinion/decision.  My Slavic friends (in my age group) are all fervent, nationalistic slaves to polka dancing.  They will pour over this book with serious, critical attention.  For those more modern American friends of mine, the 99%, I’d recommend it to the women in my age group.  The family bonding/understanding issue is far bigger and certainly more important that what was attempted in this chin-wag book.  Nonetheless, it at least brings up the point that “older sister” maybe has some insights into the family history/dynamic from which younger sister was sheltered.

So, the undisclosed factor in my soft handling of this book is that my college 4th year roommate, and 5th year (I switched from engineering to Math, Physics, & German) best friend was known as Oleks Rudenko.  That was 1959-60 thru 61: the University of Arizona at Tucson. Oleks was a young teenager during the German offensive East (1941) and subsequent retreat West (1944).  He had joined the partisans for Ukrainian independence as a runner early on.  He was captured by the Germans and sent back as a worker.  In 1945, he was free as a 17-year old survivor to roam Germany with a band of like-thinking ex-patriots.  He had wild tales to tell of commandeered jeeps, teen-aged adventures, smiling American GIs with cigarettes, food, and gasoline.  He came across to America in 1948; worked to make money, learn English (badly, but it served him well in 50’s America) and also enough to get into college.  I stayed with Oleks and his wife eight years later (1968) when he was finally settling down and I was starting graduate school. 

I danced a lot of polkas in those days with the Slavic graduate student clubs; learned a lot of Eastern European history.  I hope that Oleks found peace with the dissolution of the Soviet Union:  I don’t know; I lost contact in the eighties.  I hope he got to go back.

The causes never die.