cammytidwell's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Fascinating story of an immigrant family to the US from Russia in the 80's
kochella's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best memoirs I have read by anyone, ever. Hilarious and heartbreaking, an adventure that is grounded in deep honesty and introspection. I gained greater insight into Russia from this book than I did from the 10 other Russia/nonfiction titles I read this year combined.
So. Freaking. Great.
So. Freaking. Great.
babsellen's review against another edition
5.0
A gripping memoir that brings you inside the Soviet Union, experiencing its final days as a Ukrainian Jew in the late 1980s. All this through the eyes and feelings of a boy, age 6-10. The author takes you on his family's harrowing escape to Vienna and ultimately to the promise of America. Meet interesting characters along the way, and most of all experience how the scars of the past manifest themselves in an immigrant's life.
katykat3's review against another edition
4.0
I've learned about Jewish migration from the USSR in classes, but never have imagined how difficult this must have been for those leaving. Lev Golinkin shared his experiences and feelings with us; it was very raw and real, and we are lucky to be able to read it. I like how he told his story in a partially nonlinear fashion, so when it was done, it didn't actually feel done. And I think that's how he wants us to feel, because his life isn't over, so he still has much left to do and to figure out.
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
impressionblend's review against another edition
4.0
As seen on Impression Blend
Actually, 4.5 out of 5. Goodreads needs half stars!
We are repeatedly told not to judge the book by its cover, and in most cases it's a very good piece of advice. However, there are occasional exceptions to this, and this book was such an exception for me. A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka by Lev Golinkin was a classic case of "cover buy": Lindsay and I were browsing the shelves at Barnes & Noble, and this book caught my eye. I was born in the Soviet Union, and most of my life was spent in what became Ukraine in 1991, so even just the title and cover of this book spoke to me. Imagine my reaction when the inside flap told me this was a memoir that had to do with emigration and finding yourself in a new environment. I had to read it.
I think the beautiful thing about A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka is that it will speak to almost anyone. Obviously, anybody who had to deal with emigrating from the Soviet Union in the '80s, or later from the former republics, will instantly connect with Lev's story. On the other hand, those who have not experienced moving from one country to another will find this book an eye-opening experience. And of course, anyone can relate to soul searching and worrying about what the future holds. Within its first pages, there is a phrase that defines this whole book:
The author comes back to this idea later, and it becomes more and more relevant the further you get into the story. Something else that I wanted to bring up is the concept of the language barrier and what it really means—something I don't think a lot of people consider when they talk to immigrants. The author talks about how people get impatient, or angry when someone from a different country is having trouble understanding them, and how frustrating and embarrassing this can get. Furthermore, the language barrier is something that not only keeps a person from getting professional employment, but also makes them feel like a lesser person, because none of what you knew or could express before is relevant:
There are so many quotes from this memoir that I wanted to write down and share, and so many things I related to. This book immediately hooked me, and it wasn't just because I knew EXACTLY what the author was talking about—it was the honest, unapologetic way the author spoke through his writing. There may have been things that I didn't agree with, but that didn't take away from how much I connected with and enjoyed this memoir. It made me sad, it made me angry, and it even made me inexplicably nostalgic a few times—it was a very emotional read for me.
So, after all of this you may be wondering why I gave this memoir 4.5 instead of 5 stars. Well, the thing is there were a few details that bugged me. I'm not going to nitpick, since they aren't things that make a huge difference in the story, and unless you're familiar with the specifics you won't even notice them. Generally, I wrote them off to author's personal experience, and I still recommend this book to everyone. I loved it!
Actually, 4.5 out of 5. Goodreads needs half stars!
We are repeatedly told not to judge the book by its cover, and in most cases it's a very good piece of advice. However, there are occasional exceptions to this, and this book was such an exception for me. A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka by Lev Golinkin was a classic case of "cover buy": Lindsay and I were browsing the shelves at Barnes & Noble, and this book caught my eye. I was born in the Soviet Union, and most of my life was spent in what became Ukraine in 1991, so even just the title and cover of this book spoke to me. Imagine my reaction when the inside flap told me this was a memoir that had to do with emigration and finding yourself in a new environment. I had to read it.
I think the beautiful thing about A Backpack, a Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka is that it will speak to almost anyone. Obviously, anybody who had to deal with emigrating from the Soviet Union in the '80s, or later from the former republics, will instantly connect with Lev's story. On the other hand, those who have not experienced moving from one country to another will find this book an eye-opening experience. And of course, anyone can relate to soul searching and worrying about what the future holds. Within its first pages, there is a phrase that defines this whole book:
"... the one thing that finally sank into my head is that you can’t have a future if you don’t have a past."
The author comes back to this idea later, and it becomes more and more relevant the further you get into the story. Something else that I wanted to bring up is the concept of the language barrier and what it really means—something I don't think a lot of people consider when they talk to immigrants. The author talks about how people get impatient, or angry when someone from a different country is having trouble understanding them, and how frustrating and embarrassing this can get. Furthermore, the language barrier is something that not only keeps a person from getting professional employment, but also makes them feel like a lesser person, because none of what you knew or could express before is relevant:
"You no longer have opinions. You don’t have jokes, or consolations, or conversations, or amusements, or experiences, or perspectives built over a lifetime. They’re useless, like you. How are you going to share them? With whom? You are an animal, mooing and mumbling and excuse me-ing your way through the smallest chore, the most inconsequential grocery store errand.
And that’s how the language barrier works."
There are so many quotes from this memoir that I wanted to write down and share, and so many things I related to. This book immediately hooked me, and it wasn't just because I knew EXACTLY what the author was talking about—it was the honest, unapologetic way the author spoke through his writing. There may have been things that I didn't agree with, but that didn't take away from how much I connected with and enjoyed this memoir. It made me sad, it made me angry, and it even made me inexplicably nostalgic a few times—it was a very emotional read for me.
So, after all of this you may be wondering why I gave this memoir 4.5 instead of 5 stars. Well, the thing is there were a few details that bugged me. I'm not going to nitpick, since they aren't things that make a huge difference in the story, and unless you're familiar with the specifics you won't even notice them. Generally, I wrote them off to author's personal experience, and I still recommend this book to everyone. I loved it!