Coming to America when she was still a child, Lena "Emma Kaulfield"
Kabelmacher, a Russian-Jewish immigrant, has cultivated a perfect
veneer of life: she is engaged to an acceptable man, Alexei
Bagdanovich, and she is working towards a degree in statistics in
hopes of becoming an accountant. But underneath the calm surface
beats the heart of a rebel who is not certain of who she is and is very
conflicted about everything in her life, be it her loving but overbearing
mother and grandmother, or to what she feels is more important:
feeding her soul. Lena struggles to figure out where she belongs... with
her family in their old-fashioned thinking, or with her own aspirations in
a new land that is supposed to free her from herself.
One night she meets Ignatius "Eddie" Beltrafio, and while their
attraction is instantaneous as well as filled with fights and sizzling sex,
it is their unexplainable bond to one another that will force Lena to
question everything she knows and believes...
This is a book that hits very close to home because I come from the
world of Lena Kabelmacher, aka Emma Kaulfield. Interestingly enough
and what appealed to me initially about THE MATRIMONIAL FLIRTATIONS OF EMMA KAULFIELD
is I came from Russia to America in 1994 at eight years of age, similar
to Lena. In a way, I feel that only those who understand Lena's world
will appreciate and find the book funny. The American side of me found
the story to be shocking and depressing, while the Russian-Jewish side
of me found some humor and understanding in the story. It is a big
relief to see that my experience and what I felt and was told as a child
was not unique.
The author leaves no stone unturned in examining Lena's psyche of
herself and all the pieces and memories that Lena gathered throughout
the years are brought out in the open which can make for a bit of a
messy reading because sometimes present day and past day are
crisscrossed and memories fade without a warning in to the present
day. The Russian-Jewish community is examined under a microscope,
and the details can be overwhelming, leaving the bigger picture difficult
to see, but offering an interesting look at a very specific culture.
For those who know someone of Russian-Jewish descent or for those
who are Russian-Jewish, I would recommend this read so they can
understand the psychology of a people lost and floating amidst the
debris of old and new lives.
A delightfully updated Pride and Prejudice with a
Russian-Jewish flair
The Matrimonial Flirtations of Emma Kaulfield is an often
laugh-out-loud comedy of conflicting manners, values, and
customs, set against the backdrop of a Russian immigrant
family’s struggle to assimilate, their newfound love of
capitalism, and their insistent push for their children's
tangible success. Emma Kaulfield escaped the Soviet Union in
the 1980s when she was 10--hers was one of the last Jewish
families to be let out. Now a gorgeous young woman, going to
grad school at NYU, chaffing at the cultural restraints of
her heritage, Emma is engaged to someone just like her--a
handsome young Russian Jew--but then a steamy encounter with
a stranger in a restaurant bathroom turns into a torrid love
affair. She wrestles with what she knows she should do
(career vs. art); who she should love (one of her own vs.
the exotic temptation), to remain loyal to her family, her
people--after all they have suffered--or cut ties and defy
those who love her. The Matrimonial Flirtations of Emma
Kaulfield builds in power and suspense, easily becoming an
all-night binge read, impossible to put down. Fishbeyn’s
debut novel is sexy, hilarious, heartbreaking, and breathtaking.
The Matrimonial Flirtations of Emma Kaulfield is an often
laugh-out-loud comedy of conflicting manners, values, and
customs, set against the backdrop of a Russian immigrant
family’s struggle to assimilate, their newfound love of
capitalism, and their insistent push for their children's
tangible success. Emma Kaulfield escaped the Soviet Union in
the 1980s when she was 10--hers was one of the last Jewish
families to be let out. Now a gorgeous young woman, going to
grad school at NYU, chaffing at the cultural restraints of
her heritage, Emma is engaged to someone just like her--a
handsome young Russian Jew--but then a steamy encounter with
a stranger in a restaurant bathroom turns into a torrid love
affair. She wrestles with what she knows she should do
(career vs. art); who she should love (one of her own vs.
the exotic temptation), to remain loyal to her family, her
people--after all they have suffered--or cut ties and defy
those who love her. The Matrimonial Flirtations of Emma
Kaulfield builds in power and suspense, easily becoming an
all-night binge read, impossible to put down. Fishbeyn’s
debut novel is sexy, hilarious, heartbreaking, and breathtaking.
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