A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
by Marina Lewycka
Extract
'Tell me, Nadezhda, do you think it would be possible for a man of eighty four to father a child?'
See how he comes straight to the point? No small talk. No 'How are you? How are Mike and Anna?' No chit-chat about the weather. Nothing frivolous will hold him up when he is in the grip of a Big Idea.
'Well, I'm not sure.....'
Why is he asking me? How would I know? I don't want to know. I don't want this kick of emotion that drags me back to the bogey-nose days, to the time when my Daddy was still my hero and I was still vulnerable to his disapproval.