Andrea Goldsmith (1) (1950–)

The story starts out in Leningrad where we meet Galina Kogan on the day her mother, her only family, dies. Before her death, Galina and her mother had decided to emigrate, taking advantage of Gobachev's policy of allowing Soviet Jews to emigrate. Walking home, Galina stumbles and collides with a tall young man, who helps her up and apologizes profusely in a mixture of Russian and English. He introduces himself as Andrew Morrow. He explains that he is Australian. He is an artist specializing in mosaics and is assisting on the restoration of famous mosaics at a nearby church. He gives Galina his business card.

Several months later, Galina emigrates. Officially, the only possible destination is Israel, but Galina wants to go to an English speaking country. On a whim, she decides to go to Australia, the home of the young man she collided with on the day her mother died. Officially, Soviet Jews are only permitted to emigrate to Israel, but once outside the Soviet Union, many pick other destinations. Galina is stranded in Italy as a refugee for some time. While in Italy, Galina sees a news reel about Italian emigrants living in the town of Carleton, outside Melbourne. Eventually she receives permission to emigrate to Australia.

Once there, Galina lives with a kindly Orthodox Jewish couple who assist emigres. She obtains two part time jobs working as an artist. She eventually moves out on her own and looks for housing in Carleton. She enjoys her new living place, but feels lonely. She digs out Andrew's business card and calls him.

That is the real beginning of the story. Andrew is Galina's guide to life in Australia. She meets his parents and his mother becomes a sort of aunt to her. His father gives her work as an illustrator. Increasingly, Galina becomes enmeshed in their lives. And then Galina is visited by someone from her Soviet past.

The middle of the book is well written, but there are too many subplots and some of them are not believable. The book ends abruptly with several plot lines unresolved. The ending feels rushed and it almost feels as if the author didn't know how she wanted the story to end. So, well worth reading, but ultimately unsatisfying.… (meer)

This was very, very good, once I got into the flow of it. The story starts out in Leningrad where resident Galina meets visiting Australian artist Andrew and they strike up a conversation. Andrew gives her his card and a while later when Galina is deciding she has to leave Gorvachev's Russia, of all the places she thinks she might want to exile to, she picks Melbourne solely because that is where that nice young man lived. It takes them another while to finally get together, but Galina comes to enjoy her adventures with Andrew while he quickly falls in love with her, as do his parents. Their story does not progress quickly at all but is an interesting one nonetheless. I enjoyed reading about his art, mosaics, and her many talents as a budding illustrator. Much is made of the contrasts between Leningrad and Melbourne, one being that Galina is trying to be a modern woman in a new country but her traditions and mores keep coming back to haunt her.

A good portion of the book is spent on Andrew's parents, their relationship, their midlife crises, and their extra-curricular activities. I loved the mother, a housewife with many regrets about not having a career; and her hobby of collecting old letters was fascinating. Even in their chapters, Galina is ever present and having an effect on their lives.

It is one of those endings where you have to imagine how a couple of things will turn out. I am OK with that. Many thanks to Scribe Publishing and LibraryThings.com for my advanced copy.… (meer)