Two Caravans (S For Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2007)

Description:
A field of strawberries in Kent ...And sitting in it two caravans - one for the men and one for the women. The residents are from all over: miner's son Andriy is from the old Ukraine, while sexy young Irina is from the new: they eye each other warily. There are the Poles Tomasz and Yola, two Chinese girls and Emanuel from Malawi. They're all here to pick strawberries in England's green and pleasant land. But these days England's not so pleasant for immigrants. Not with Russian gangster-wannabes like Vulk, who's taken a shine to Irina and thinks kidnapping is a wooing strategy. And so Andriy - who really doesn't fancy Irina, honest - must set off in search of that girl he's not in love with.

Review:
Her last book was entertaining, but this one is better...Very buoyant, witty and informative -- Peter Kemp The Sunday Times A great romp...with considerable heart and winsomeness Literary Review Another black comedy masterpiece...an extraordinary, surprisingly funny tale Easy Living Lewycka's heartfelt and funny novel packs as big a punch as any hard-hitting political polemic Daily Mail Another winner from the author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Woman and Home Marina Lewycka has pulled off another story with a big heart Daily Express An extremely funny book Times Literary Supplement

Prizes:
Shortlisted for Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2007.
Shortlisted for Orwell Prize 2008.

Author Biography:
Marina Lewycka was born of Ukrainian parents in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany, at the end of the war, and grew up in England. She is married, with a grown-up daughter, and lives in Sheffield.