The Story of the Forest: A Novel

by Linda Grant

An “epic and marvelously entertaining” family saga by award-winning author Linda Grant about the European Jewish experience from WWI to the present day, that “constantly moves forward even as it looks sorrowfully back” (Financial Times).

It’s 1913 when Mina, the young and carefree daughter of a Jewish merchant, roams into a forest on the edge of the Baltic Sea looking for mushrooms. Instead, she encounters a gang of unruly, charismatic Bolsheviks—an adventure that will become the stuff of familial lore for generations to come. Intending to save her from further corruption, and in an act that forever changes the trajectory of their family’s life, Mina and her eldest brother, Jossel, board a ship to England.

There the threat of a different war looms large. When WWI hits, Jossel is sent to the front, where he keeps a severely wounded soldier in his unit alive ‘til morning by telling him tales—including that his sister Mina will marry him if he survives. The soldier lives and asks for Mina’s hand, their marriage uniting two growing trade dynasties. But over time Mina and Jossel will learn that not everyone in their family has survived the wars and pogroms, even as they and their offspring struggle to build new lives in Liverpool in the midst of ever-shifting discriminations.

Based on the author’s own family history and legends, The Story of the Forest is a remarkable record of family lore; a meditation on the power of stories to ground us, particularly in the face of life’s inevitable losses, told with a keen wit and a sharp eye to the charms and the foibles of family by masterful British novelist Linda Grant.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Jewish, Audiobook, British Literature, Literary Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Linda Grant was born in Liverpool on 15 February 1951, the child of Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants. She was educated at the Belvedere School (GDST), read English at the University of York, completed an M.A. in English at MacMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario and did further post-graduate studies at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada, where she lived from 1977 to 1984.

In 1985 she returned to Britain and became a journalist. From 1995 to 2000 she was a feature writer for the Guardian, where between 1997 and 1998 she also had a weekly column in G2. She contributed regularly to the Weekend section on subjects including the background to the use of drug Ecstasy (for which she was shortlisted for the UK Press Gazette Feature Writer of the Year Award in 1996), body modification, racism against Romanies in the Czech Republic, her own journey to Jewish Poland and to her father's birthplace and during the Kosovo War, an examination of the background to Serb nationalism.

Reviews

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant…some books are a miss. This is one for me.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I would be dnf-ing this as I trudged through the first few chapters. I didn’t find young Mina and Jossel compelling or likeable and thought the writing style, further faulted by some abounding typos, was stilted and arching for a resonance and depth of meaning it failed to achieve. However I found that some of the fault laid in my own expectations, as I went into the book thinking it would be mystical, poetic and bucolic and it delivered a very small amount of that.

Nevertheless, I found as I progressed that the true gem here lay in the generational nature of the narrative and in the considerations of ritual and tradition and modernity. Additionally, as the story’s nucleus in Liverpool became clearer, the writing itself began to be a lot less obtrusive and at times beautifully descriptive, riddled with vivid visuals and reverberating emotion. The characters, although numerous, were concrete, diverse and captivating, and thus were not hard to keep track of and resulted in a rather lively volley of opinions, mindsets and beliefs. I was particularly drawn to Itzik’s character, and found his chapters to be some of the most affecting.

Although a split or alternating narrative pov can be overdone and is often a crutch I actually think it was quite useful and well carried out here, as it plays well with the generational trope and gives a firmer body to the vast institution of interconnected Mendels. Regarding folk tales and storytelling the author plays interestingly with ideas of interpretation, the very soviet/german ideas of the practical, psychological and political uses of fairy tales (thinking of Bettelheim here), and most evidently with notions of narrative authority and authenticity. The last third of the book is really remarkable.

[Stephen Dilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Grant's novel follows the story of a Jewish family over nearly a century from Riga to Liverpool and London. The novel begins in 1913 with the titular 'story of the forest': 14-year-old Mina Mendel collecting mushrooms in the forest, 'like a child in a fairytale', where an encounter with some Bolsheviks will cause Mina and her brother Jossel to leave Latvia heading for New York. This yarn is repeated, distorted and increasingly disbelieved over successive generations, like many of the other stories told by different members of the family.

Mina and Jossel never make it to New York because of the First World War, and instead stay put in Liverpool. What follows is a highly absorbing depiction of life in Liverpool's small Jewish community across the changing social mores of 20th century, including marriage and divorce, business and religious observance. We also follow Mina's daughter Paula to London in the late 1940s, where she works first as a secretary and then a continuity girl for a small film company.

Not all of the Mendel family travel to the UK and I was intrigued by the obliqueness with which Grant depicts the fate of Jews left in mainland Europe and the USSR. For many years, Mina and Jossel do not know what has happened to their siblings or parents; later, 'the camps' are referred to but never described in detail. There is something rather bold but also poignant about writing a novel about 20th Century Jewish history which is not centred on the Holocaust; while we are still painfully aware of its horrors, Grant shines a light on other lives and experiences which are less well-known.

I found this novel fascinating and compelling, both as a work of social history and as a meditation on the power of stories in families, particularly families where so much else is lost. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.

[Bonnie Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Pub Week. Over twenty years five years ago, I read - and was mesmerized by - Linda Grant's When I Lived in Modern Times. It was one of the books that never left me despite my voracious reading habits. And now, The Story of the Forest will join it as a book that captivated me, taught me and will stay with me forever. Grant used her own family lore - including the missing pieces, the fantastical pieces, and the little that could be actually confirmed pieces, to write the epic 100 year story of Mina, the girl in the story of the titular forest, and her journey from Riga to Liverpool. As Mina lives her relatively modest life in a modest suburb of Liverpool, she is witness to and a player in, some of the twentieth centuries most important movements and debates. The Story of the Forest is a towering achievement and one that deserves the broadest possible audience. Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells a fictionalized version of the author’s family saga. It starts in Latvia in the early 1900s, with an experience that will become one of the family’s legends. Several members of this Jewish family leave for the US, but get stalled in England, where they forge a new life in Liverpool. The storyline follows the family through multiple generations, covering both world wars and most of the twentieth century.

One of the primary themes is storytelling, and the way family myths arise and are retold throughout the generations, morphing over time, and becoming part of the glue that binds them together. Their personal stories overlap with the sweeping events of history, which upend several of their lives. The family is split apart and the fates of several are unknown (most of which are eventually revealed).

It is a long circuitous story told from multiple perspectives. It addresses Anti-Semitism, and the way history can influence the course of life. I particularly enjoyed the storytelling aspect, and how our family’s stories influence our identities. This is my first time reading Linda Grant, and she is a skilled storyteller. I very much enjoyed the experience and would gladly read another of her works.

I received an advance reader's copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining tale of a Jewish family whose lives have been dictated by dreams, life hazards, lack of money and of course antisemitism. A powerful start got me hooked straight away reflecting what the later generations wonder about their earlier family. Yes, emigration whether to Russia, England, Israel or the USA has made it difficult to stay close to the acual events experienced by this family who didn't/couldn't contact each other. This is true for so many Jewish people spread all over the world!I found it very interesting to view the characters: all women are very strong headed while the male characters appear as rather dull, weak even absurd in some cases. I wonder why? Is it because they misled/led their female counterparts as to crucial life decisions? The writing style is very lively. It does give the feeling one actually hears the (fairy?) tale being told. That might be the moral of this story.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be in a minority as I wasn’t so struck with this book.
I think this was because I didn’t like the start of the book, in the forest etc., at least until Jossel and Mina arrived in Liverpool and the story only then really took off for me. I particularly enjoyed Paula’s story, and felt, once this had played out, the book fizzled out.
The repetitiveness of the forest story got a bit boring too, though I suppose it became a running thread through the years, though to what end I don’t know. And I hated all the Yiddish words used; why write shul when we know it as synagogue for example? What was gained by this? I’ve had a problem with this type of thing before, in other languages. Authors, stop doing it!

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me, the story jumped around a characters and stories so I never really felt a connection to the story.

[Adrienne Kelliher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waaayyyy to drawn out (for me)

[Quill&Queer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was bleak, and I am depressed.

[Daren Kearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story of the Forest has its origins in Linda Grant’s family history. Originating from Eastern Europe and Jewish, her family name was Ginsburg but changed in the UK to assimilate and avoid anti-semitism.
It is a story of generations begun from immigrants and how their history becomes fables; stories are altered or changed depending on the world view of the narrator. This could be said for any family story passed down by oral tradition.
I enjoyed the insights into Jewish traditions and family life. The novel makes you think about your own family, its genealogy and stories.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel of one section of a Jewish family leaving Latvia and ending up in Liverpool and how they encorpate themselves into society each generation and the relationship between family members

[Tala🦈 (mrs.skywalker.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 nawet, niesamowite, że mamy tutaj taki span jeśli chodzi o czas i bohaterów, a autorce i tak udało się mnie zaangażować w ich losy, do tego świetnie pokazuje przemiany historyczne i społeczne

[Diane Shugart · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for a lovely telling of how our lives become stories, weaving themselves through families across generations.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Grant’s The Story of the Forest begins like a whispered fairy tale—a girl, a forest, and an encounter that alters her path forever. But this is not a story confined to the enchantments of folklore. Instead, it is a sprawling tale of migration, identity, and the intergenerational burden of memory. Set against the backdrop of revolutionary Latvia and the bustling streets of Liverpool, this historical fiction captures the essence of transformation—of people, places, and the narratives they carry. Grant’s lyrical prose and profound observations elevate this book into a meditation on resilience and survival. However, it also grapples with the inherent limitations of sprawling narratives.

Plot: A Tapestry of Time and Place

The narrative opens in 1913 Latvia, with fourteen-year-old Mina Mendel stepping into a forest that serves as both a literal and metaphorical space of transformation. What begins as an innocent foray to gather mushrooms unfolds into an encounter with a group of young Bolsheviks, setting the stage for a journey through displacement, war, and reinvention.

The story traces Mina’s migration to Liverpool, her family’s struggles with assimilation, and the enduring pull of the “old country.” The forest’s shadow looms large, both as a symbol of her roots and the myths that shape her descendants. Grant expertly juxtaposes the provincial and the cosmopolitan, the intimate and the political, as she takes readers from the Baltic shores to post-war Soho.

While the narrative is deeply immersive, its ambition occasionally overwhelms. The transitions between settings and time periods, though evocative, can feel rushed, leaving certain subplots underdeveloped. The sprawling scope, while impressive, sometimes sacrifices the depth of individual moments for breadth.

Character Analysis: Richly Drawn, Yet Occasionally Elusive

Mina Mendel

At the heart of the novel is Mina, a character both ordinary and extraordinary. Her journey encapsulates the tension between tradition and modernity, individual agency, and familial duty. Mina’s evolution from a wide-eyed girl in the forest to a matriarch navigating the complexities of a new world is compelling. However, her character sometimes feels overshadowed by the broader narrative’s thematic concerns, leaving readers yearning for deeper psychological insight.

Supporting Cast

- Jossel Mendel: Mina’s intellectual brother serves as a counterpoint to her earthy pragmatism. His philosophical musings and eventual disillusionment with ideological certainties add layers to the novel's exploration of idealism versus reality.

- Itzik and Rivka: Mina’s siblings embody contrasting fates—Itzik, the "troublemaker," and Rivka, the embodiment of innocence. Their arcs, though poignant, feel somewhat abbreviated amidst the novel’s larger canvas.

- Lia: As a widow Mina’s brother Jossel marries, Lia introduces a pragmatic, almost ruthless energy to the narrative. Her no-nonsense approach contrasts starkly with Mina’s introspective tendencies.

Grant excels in creating multifaceted characters, but some, like Mina’s parents or the young Bolsheviks, fade into archetypes, limiting their narrative impact.

Themes: History, Identity, and Memory

1. Migration and Adaptation: At its core, the novel is a migration story—about what is left behind, what is carried forward, and how identities are reshaped in new lands. Mina’s family’s move to Liverpool encapsulates the universal immigrant experience: the tension between preserving heritage and embracing change.

2. Myths and Memory: The title itself signals the novel’s preoccupation with storytelling. The “forest” becomes a repository of myths—both personal and collective—that define Mina’s family. Grant interrogates how these myths evolve and what is lost in translation over generations.

3. The Role of Women: From Mina’s mother’s quiet endurance to Lia’s assertive pragmatism, the novel portrays women navigating societal constraints. Mina’s journey reflects a struggle for autonomy within the boundaries of tradition and family expectations.

Writing Style: Poetic Yet Dense

Linda Grant’s prose is lyrical, imbued with sensory detail that brings the forest, the streets of Liverpool, and the Mendel family’s struggles to vivid life. Her sentences flow with an almost musical rhythm, capturing the textures of different eras and locales. However, the density of her style can occasionally slow the narrative, requiring readers to wade through layers of description to uncover the story’s emotional core.

Her ability to weave humor into poignant moments—such as Jossel’s philosophical musings clashing with his mundane responsibilities—adds levity to the novel’s weightier themes. Yet, there are instances where the narrative becomes overly introspective, risking alienation for readers seeking a more straightforward progression.

Strengths

1. Rich Historical Context: The novel paints a vivid portrait of early 20th-century Latvia and Liverpool, capturing the socio-political upheavals and cultural shifts of the time.

2. Emotional Resonance: Despite its ambitious scope, the story remains deeply human, with moments of heartbreak and joy that linger long after reading.

3. Narrative Voice: Grant’s command over language and her ability to blend the personal with the political create a narrative voice that is both intimate and authoritative.

Critiques

1. Pacing Issues: The novel’s ambitious scope occasionally leads to uneven pacing. Some transitions between time periods feel abrupt, leaving certain subplots underexplored.

2. Character Development: While Mina and Jossel are richly drawn, other characters, such as Mina’s parents or the young Bolsheviks, feel underutilized.

3. Narrative Density: The poetic prose, while beautiful, can sometimes obscure the story’s emotional immediacy, making the novel feel dense.

Conclusion: A Lush, Ambitious Tale

Linda Grant’s The Story of the Forest is an ambitious work that delves into the intersections of history, memory, and identity. While its scope occasionally undermines its emotional intimacy, the novel remains a compelling addition to Grant’s oeuvre. Readers who appreciate richly detailed historical fiction with a touch of lyricism will find much to admire here.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this. I like family sagas generally, but … if Jonathan Franzen or Paul Murray had tackled this story, it would have been 800 pages dense with detail and incident, well-drawn characters and psychological insight. That just wasn’t there; Grant only got close in the early chapters and then later with Paula’s story. Elsewhere, whole decades disappeared in a couple of sentences, and characters were introduced in a sketchy way only to disappear for most of the book and then suddenly pop up again at the end. Grant narrated the story without giving the characters much chance to speak for themselves. I felt I should finish it, so I ended up skim-reading, as I got bored in the middle. So I can tell you there’s a very neat and tidy ending.

I can appreciate that Grant wanted to tell the story of her family, in the context of the Jewish diaspora in England. It just wasn’t for me.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book partly because some friends of my parents had a similar background to the original family in the story. It’s good historical fiction which is based in the author’s own background; anti Semitism is an ever present theme. I managed to keep track of the last cast ofcharacters and the way it is written makes it compulsive reading. I’ve seen some poor reviews of the audible so I’m glad I got the library book.

Today I went to a literary event with LG and Lennie Goodings of virago to celebrate fifty years. Both were good and I told Linda how much I liked the book. She signed my copy of ‘stranger city’. I also bought Lennie’s book about virago

[Marissa Lepe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had the privilege of receiving a copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I listened to this book with not a whole lot of expectations. I felt the plot which follows a small Jewish family that was attempting to immigrate to the United States and ended up in Liverpool.It was hard to follow for me at times. It was slow at the start, and I felt this book wasn’t for me just based on the pace and how it was hard for me to keep up.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mina, a Jewish teenager girl, takes as a walk in the forest in 1913 Latvia, searching for mushrooms. There, she encounters a group of young men. She knows enough to be a little afraid. But the boys are friendly without being lewd. They tell her that they are Bolsheviks, and describe their principles to her. She dances with them, kisses one of the boys, and leaves the forest unharmed.

Mina will remember this encounter for the rest of her life, as a taste of what a free, self-willed life might be like.

Soon after the forest incident Mina and her brother Jossel emigrate from Latvia. They intend to go to the U.S., but only make it as far as Liverpool, where they settle, marry and raise families. World war and revolution cause them to lose contact with their family back in Latvia for many years.

The book follows the family, mainly Mina and her daughter Paula, through the rest of the twentieth century. But, by the end, I was unsure was it was supposed to be about. Another brother, Itzik, turns up about half way through and seems menacing but nothing really comes of that. Mina does tell and re-tell her story. There is even a movie made about it. But I struggled to understand why it was so important. The best I can come up with is that the little taste of freedom gave her the courage to emigrate with her brother. And that did change her life, and the lives of all her descendants. A very readable novel, but I think it needed a stronger narrative arc to really drive home its theme.

[Kasey Estupiñan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Almost gave it 4 stars because of a character that was a little crude for my preferences, but the rest of the book was just too good to do that. The style reminded me of a Wes Anderson film - very quirky in the way it jumps abruptly around to seemingly random details, yet still very cohesive. Very lively and enjoyable, I will definitely be reading more by Linda Grant.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmmm…true. a family saga and yes, a story. Not sure it’s a story of the forest?

I was not able to invest in any character and this story, as a whole, fell flat for me.

However, if this is reflective of the author’s personal story, well then I can see why this story was worth telling. It IS written well

[Fleur Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* A very beautiful story. I found it interesting to see how the family’s Jewish identity changed (and was lost) with each generation. Also, felt like a social history of 20th century Britain. I liked the ending when the characters, and you, begin to question what is true and imagined in the family’s history.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the settings of Latvia and Liverpool, vividly depicted and Mina as a main character. I wished we’d remained more focused on her, while enjoying the additional characters. Sometimes I felt - wait, did I miss something- which I don’t love when reading, but I think is part of the flowing style of the book

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful family saga about a Jewish family starting in Riga before World War One. Based upon the author’s own family. I listened on Audible. It was very well performed. I loved this book

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly don’t know what happened, my review changed from 1 to 5 stars in 200 pages

[Vic Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book!! I really enjoyed the first part, and the latter part - it felt a bit lost in the middle.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about the journey and growth of a family as they experience immigration, revolution, war, and constant changes that make life what it is. It took a little getting used to the style with this one, too. I believe the audiobook made it a little more difficult to understand because of the chosen accents, which I still feel a bit conflicted about. Overall, a really interesting story about Jewish immigrants looking for a new start in a new land.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl sets out on a journey, the story begins. The adventurer will confront many hardships and difficulties. She will reclaim her lost inheritance. She will recapture the castle. But this is not true. In folk tales, young girls never set out on a journey or a quest, they are passive, they are waiting, and in later years, Paula would admit, she had been waiting, and this was how her story started.

I read this book due to its longlisting for the 2022 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.

I had previously read her 2017 Women’s Prize shortlisted “The Dark Circle” which I felt was the weakest on the shortlist (and the weakest of the 9 longlist books I read that year) – a book with an interesting societal/historical theme (around pre-antibiotic TB and Britain on the cusp of change from the 1940s to the 1950s) but where for me the storytelling of plot and characters failed to bring it to life as a novel.

This was I felt a stronger book – and interestingly one which has the idea of storytelling at its heart: in this case one which tells, with a lightness of touch and brevity of style, the story of much of the 20th Century from the viewpoint of a family of Jewish emigres to Liverpool.

The book begins in Riga in 1913 – Mina, who is the 14 year old daughter of a prosperous Jewish flour merchant, walks into the forest as a way to gain some space from her family and stumbles into a group of singing and dancing young men who proclaim themselves to be Bolsheviks. Emboldened by her physical attraction to one of them as well as by their talk of revolution, she returns to the forest and even has her first kiss but is spied on by her secretive brother Itkiz who immediately reports her to their older brother Jossel.

It is an encounter which Mina (who has an lifelong sympathy towards Communist Russia rather at odds with the bourgeois suburban life into which she settles) clings to as foundational to her identity – a story she tells time and time again but which for later family generations takes on more the trappings of a legend or fable. Much later it is even made into a commercial film with a more fantastical element to it.

Motivated by the potential double threat to her honour (of consorting both with boys and Bolsheviks) and realising their father will likely avert this by marrying her off to an older business acquaintance – Jossel back in 1914 uses the meeting to propose that the family emigrate to America and its opportunities and when his conservative father will not travel takes the journey himself with Mina.

The travel via England but their onwards passage to America is stalled (and then postponed indefinitely) by pecuniary and global circumstances (Jossel has no money and war breaks out) – note that the ideas of thwarted ambitions, of uncompleted or failed journeys and of the passage of time turning interim half-hearted states at odds with an ultimate goal into permanent ones, are all ones that recur across the novel.

Jossel settles down in Liverpool with the young widow he meets on the ship across – establishing a linen business before quickly being drawn into fighting in the war while Mina works in a munitions factory (as a canteen skivvy).

At war the second of the foundational family legends occurs (“It reverberated down the generations, it became the Mendel gold standard for storytelling, a challenger even to Mina's story of the forest.”) – Jossel speaking all night to a seriously wounded colleague Louis to stop him falling into a likely one-way trip to unconsciousness, shows him a picture of Mina and says he should ask her to marry him if they both survive the war – which then leads to a nervous Louis arriving in Liverpool and a marriage which as well as its legendary element unites two growing trade dynasties and secure a marriage for Mina (whose reputation is potentially tarnished by her factory work).

And from there we follow the story of Mina and her extended family over several generations through to the present day – the family gradually assimilating into English culture (moving to the suburbs from a Jewish district, changing their names – even in the case of another key character Mina’s daughter Paula adopting a BBC RP style of speech which takes her to London and to work with a small film studio) while also never really being fully part of it.

Over time Mina and Jossel learn that most of their family did not survive the various pogroms and wars in Latvia (all of which take place very much off the page). The exceptions are their ever scheming brother Itzik who reappears in London as a Soviet Embassy official, and their youngest brother Sonny whose fate remains unknown until late in the story.

One of the most impressive elements of the novel is the way in which, in an understated non-showy way, the narrative style of the book changes over time – reflecting both the ages of the characters and the norms of the society and time in which they are based – starting as fairy-tale, later a rather restrained English style post-war novel, and then a first party meta-fictional finish (with more gradual variations in between).

The title itself is something of an in-joke – as Grant is famous for her lack of interest in the countryside and nature being a natural City-dweller and lover and this gets expressed in the book also with the incongruity of forest settings being a recurring theme. I must admit that this part did not directly resonate with me – as I find City’s as dwelling places as incomprehensible as Grant does the country – but like the evolving narrative style it is subtly executed.

Fairy tales are another key theme – one done a little more overtly. A pivotal scene takes place at a lecture to which Itzik invites Paula and at which a famous researcher says:

Every folk tale is one great bourgeois deviation, a blueprint for personal advancement and survival rather than the collective endeavour of the Masses. It begins with the departure of the hero from his home with a purpose. Now we have an adventure. Then the donor turns up, an agent like a talking bird or some such, who tests or interrogates. The hero is given a magical prop: a bean that grows a stalk that reaches the sky, or a hen that lays golden eggs. Next the hero is guided to a location which will change everything ... On this all goes, the villain is punished, the hero marries the princess and ascends to a throne. The end.

But the question the book asks – as per the opening quote to my review – is why there are no heroine equivalents of these folkloric legends.

And the story telling of immigrants is another key and more overt theme – the ability for example in English society to invent yourself outside of pre-determined class restrictions, but while also knowing you never really belong.

I'm just suggesting what Mummy always said, that you tell the authorities what they want to hear, Paula says. 'It's only common sense, self-preservation. They were immigrants, no one knew them, they could say what they liked. When you're uprooted like they were, you can be anything you want. Who's going to say otherwise?

And late in the book we find that a similar need of storytelling (which in both cases is made necessary by the lack of any official written documentation) applies to those left behind as persecuted minorities.

You see we have so little of the past except of course memories and fairy stories because we came from a regime where you couldn't trust what was inside your own head, your soul had been taken into public ownership, you doubted your own recollection, that was just the way it was, you accepted it, what could you do? So we had a coffee pot and we had a story and the story was ours. It didn't belong to the People, but to us. Was it true? At the time it didn't matter.

And the book ends with a concluding section which both brings together the previously disparate strands of the family history, adds a third family legend and also builds a circularity back into the theme of family storytelling.

Overall a book I found much stronger than I expected and a solid addition to the Orwell list.

The audience was arriving. There were old-timers nostalgic for the films of their youth, students of cinema, young lovers, couples who had nowhere else to go on this rainy evening, solitary types like himself, their purposes inscrutable. Of everyone in the half-empty cinema, the atmosphere heavy with the smoke of cheap cigarettes, only Itzik knew how false the movie was. He had been there, he had seen everything, it was nothing like this, nothing.
There were no magical elements, there was instead a spoilt girl and a pompous brother, a group of boys who believed in ideas that were going to crush them.
He remembered Vladimir Propp and the lecture in London to which he had enticed his beautiful niece. The lecturer had spoken at great length about the structure of stories. But I also have a story, he thought. He had told it several times to his handlers. Why here, they had asked him, and why now? To which there was no answer besides, 'Once I lived with my brothers and sisters in a good merchant's house in Riga not far from the port, and one day my little sister went out to the forest and our family was undone?
Which was not the truth either but who says stories are supposed to be true? When you tell a story you are bound by its own internal rules. The truth is an awkward branch that will poke your eye out,

[John Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange book. I nearly gave up - thought I was reading a bloke (don't usually bother with male authors) - couldn't get on with the prose. But the prose developed with the story and I'm hooked.

[Johanna Markson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author but this was not one of my favorite books by her. It just took too long to get to where the story was ultimately going. The struggles of a family in Latvia. Two siblings who flee and end up making lives for themselves in England. The marriages and children that follow. And the one endless thread is the story of one of the siblings and how she went into the forest at 14 in Riga to pick mushrooms and met some resistance fighters who were planning on overthrowing the Czar. The meeting with these young men is what compelled her brother to take her away from Riga in the first place. It’s what made them end up in England, separated from their parents and other siblings, so that when WWII happens, contact with all of them is lost forever. Even a movie gets made from the story. But really, it’s not much of a story, it’s just the jumping off point for two new lives. Not very interesting lives, but well loved lives all the same.