My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner

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From the acclaimed author of A Pigeon and a Boy comes a charming tale of family ties, meticulous housekeeping, and the art of storytelling set in Nahalal, the author's birthplace. The narrative centers on Grandma Tonia, who arrived in Palestine from Russia in 1923, perpetually battling what she considered the family's greatest foe: dirt. Always seen with a cleaning rag, she welcomed visitors outdoors, allowing only select guests into her immaculate home. The story humorously and poignantly unfolds around the arrival of a shiny American sweeper, a gift from Great-uncle Yeshayahu, who had emigrated to Los Angeles. To little Meir and his family, America represented hedonism and alluring progress, filled with tempting luxuries and painted fingernails. The sweeper, intended as a tool to introduce ease into their hardworking socialist household, symbolizes the family's conflicts and aspirations. The fate of Tonia’s “svieeperrr,” hidden for decades in a pristine bathroom after its first use, becomes a family mystery that Meir is determined to unravel. This delightful translation by Evan Fallenberg brings to life the obsessive yet loving Tonia, the pioneers who shaped Meir's childhood, and the humor and resilience of those forging new lives.