Book cover of Calling Ukraine

Book description

National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree and author of Such Good Work Johannes Lichtman returns with a novel that is strikingly relevant to our times—about an American who takes a job in Ukraine in 2018, only to find that his struggle to understand the customs and culture is eclipsed…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Calling Ukraine as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have never been to Eastern Europe, but this book took me there in an engaging way.

The novel, which takes place before the current war in Ukraine, is a funny and moving story of an American who goes abroad, not fully understanding the job he’ll be doing in that country.

The miscommunications, the awareness he gains, and his growing connections to the people he finds through the story make it totally entertaining and, in the end, meaningful. I was pulled in and came away really appreciating the author’s storytelling skills.

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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