My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner : A Memoir {FIRST EDITION}

"Brimming with witty and playful mockery, Shalev's story is equally compassionate, an elegiac glimpse of the authentic Zionist pioneers. A genuine comic tour de force, it is also a marvelous meditation on the mysterious workings of memory and the intricate tapestry of familial connections."
--Forward

"Lighthearted yet meaningful . . . As I read this, I felt like I was one of Meir Shalev's cousins, sitting out behind his grandmother's house, listening to a great retelling of a story I knew by heart . . . A book for everyone."
--Jewish Boston

"Probably one of the most enjoyable books ever written about obsessive-compulsive disorder."
--Haaretz (Israel)

"Evan Fallenberg's translation is nimble and sensitive . . . At once a mystery story, a fascinating glimpse into what life was like for the Labor Zionists of the early twentieth century, a moving family memoir, and, above all, a vivid, affectionate tribute to Grandma Tonia, who must now take her rightful place as one of history's most redoubtable matriarchs. Unfailingly charming."
--Words Without Borders

"A loving and humorous family story about Israel's pioneers and their offspring."
--Die Welt (Germany)

"An unconventional and quite hilarious family scrapbook . . . Shalev's reflections on quirky uncles, family squabbles, the rich history of his Jewish heritage, and the legacy of the omnipresent American vacuum cleaner touch the heart and tickle the funny bone."
--Kirkus Reviews