Helen Waite Papashvily (1906–1996)

"There was, there was, and yet there was not..." So begins each fable in this collection. George and Helen Papashvily have produced a collection of moral tales in the same vein as Aesop's fables, but with more warmth and depth. Some are very similar to tales we are used to, others reflect the Georgian customs and mores, giving insight into that culture. A couple are heartbreaking, and others perverse and silly. I enjoyed reading this very much, and the illustrations are a lovely folk art show more addition to the book. show less

This is the story of George Papashvily, a Georgian immigrant to the United States. His story begins at Ellis Island and continues through one experience after another. The story is told with a sense of humor as Mr. Papashvily discovers that America may not exactly be the land flowing with milk and honey. This is a fun, short read.

I bought this book since it was written by two of my favorite authors, Helen and George Papashvily. I have often wondered how much of their wonderful novels were written by Helen or George, and if this book is an indication, I would say that George had much to do with the writing of his heart-warming and delightful stories. The one chapter he wrote in this cookbook has the same flavor, while those written by Helen were somewhat dry and at times remote. All of them were interesting though. I show more wonder how much they restricted themselves on their commentary, seeing that it was researched and written in the middle of the Communist regime. They give a nice introduction to each area of the U.S.S.R., describing the land, food grown there and the traditional preparations of that food. Then they give five or six recipes to illustrate. Lovely photographs throughout. show less

One of my all-time favorite books. I love this tale. My husband and I have read it aloud together and laughed so hard we cried. The story is a touching one of the hopes and dreams which many carried with them when they came to America and the hard reality they found when they arrived. Told with a light touch, it shows the determination to succeed which helped Mr. Papashvily thrive here.