There's just something about a Russian novel. Something weighty. Something portentous. And ... sometimes you need something lighter. Moonlight in Odessa might be a nice change of pace, without being a change of continent.
Not that the novel is all that light, really -- there's sexual harassment, exploitation, mobsters, pandering; really everything you'd expect when dealing with mail-order (or email-order, as luck would have it) brides. Still, it's nowhere as bleak as it could be, and as we are frequently reminded, Odessa is the comedy capital of Russia.
Daria, our protagonist and narrator, is a young Odessan with a distinct interest in the West, America specifically. Which is helpful, since it means we can understand her pop culture references (and vice versa, I suppose).
Overall, this is a fairly likable book that many people might enjoy.
Not that the novel is all that light, really -- there's sexual harassment, exploitation, mobsters, pandering; really everything you'd expect when dealing with mail-order (or email-order, as luck would have it) brides. Still, it's nowhere as bleak as it could be, and as we are frequently reminded, Odessa is the comedy capital of Russia.
Daria, our protagonist and narrator, is a young Odessan with a distinct interest in the West, America specifically. Which is helpful, since it means we can understand her pop culture references (and vice versa, I suppose).
Overall, this is a fairly likable book that many people might enjoy.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.