Customer Reviews

Moonlight in Odessa: A Novel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First thing, Moonlight in Odessa has no resemblance to Desperate Housewives. What Moonlight in Odessa is however, is a bittersweet tale of post-Soviet Ukraine, love and marriage, and the beacon shone by American for prospective immigrants. From page one, our narrator Daria, is engaging and resilient. She has to be, for Odessa is a pretty colorful city full of people who do what they can to make it. Not quite Russia, yet not at all Occidental, the setting is rendered in such loving detail I kept flipping back to read the author's biography to see if she was from this area--and I still wonder since it gives only the scantest detail of her life.

I hesitate to call this "chick-lit," though it bears a resemblance to the realistic and realistically humorous tales of Jennifer Weiner and Marian Keyes, only because the focus is less on Daria's journey than on Charles's opinions of marriage, mail-order brides and how foreigners view the United States. While greatly enjoying Moonlight in Odessa, there are a number of dangling threads Charles introduces out of the blue and/or doesn't tie up by the end of the book. But the writing is brisk and vibrant, and I found this book a quick, snappy read.

I ordered this book because of ongoing research I'm conducting into Russia, not because of an outright interest in the mail order brides, Odessa, or the daily life of a charming young woman with a bewildering, and deeply funny, series of problems to overcome.

I don't think that I'm this book's target audience (Male, 41, Father, Suburbanite, etc.) And yet, from the first few pages I found myself drawn to Daria's problems. The writer engaged me, making me care about the characters deeply, and when Daria found success, I felt happy for her, When she was betrayed, I felt for her.

I know Daria isn't "real", but there are certainly many people like her. If one of the reasons that you read novels is to step for a time into another person's life, and to gain an understanding of an alternative perspective, then "Moonlight in Odessa" is the book for you.

I really enjoyed this novel! It was such a page-turner and I found myself not able to put it down!

Daria is such a well developed character. I actually cared what happened to her, I understood her and I found myself feeling sorry for her. At some points I wanted to shout at the book and tell her what choice to make! I was generally invested in the main character and in her relationships with other characters who were equally as well developed. That, to me, is the mark of a good novel.

The book itself is beautifully written, and is so descriptive of life in Odessa, but not to the point of being melodramatic or boring. I really enjoyed this novel and finished it in two days, unable to put it down. I'd recommend it to anyone!

I really enjoyed this book and was compelled to read it in one afternoon. I thought the main character was very likable and I was genuinely interested in what happened to her as the book went on. I loved reading about life in Odessa. I did find the plot a little unbelievable; it was at times hard for me to imagine such an intelligent woman winding up in such a situation- but maybe that just illustrates how determined women are to achieve better lives for themselves. While the ending was very hopeful for Daria, I liked that everything was not wrapped up with a bow. To me, there were elements of "Pride in Prejudice" with the whole things are not what they seem premise.

Reconciling the mythic true love with the often harsh reality of real life can be kind of a pain-at the very least. I mean, how is a girl supposed to keep her romantic imagination alive in this day and age? And should it be something we even want to keep alive? In an ideal situation your parents would tell you to hold out for true love, for that wow factor, for the best friend you want to sleep with. But in reality-lets face it we (and by that I mean men and women) tend to settle for a lot less than that.

Daria lives with her grandmother in one the most attractive cities in the world. It's on the gorgeous black sea, has the third most beautiful opera house in the world, tons of monuments and a beautiful, educated, well dressed population. But like any city it has its problems. Because Daria lives in Odessa Ukraine, the post soviet economy means almost everyone has to work two jobs just to be able to maintain a standard of living. The mob runs just about everything and even with that the electricity, phone lines and ports tend to be dysfunctional.

But Daria is making it work. With an engineering degree but no jobs in the field she ends up working a secretary for a Hebrew firm-and on day one her boss, David Harmon, makes it clear that sleeping with him is "the best part of the job." Considering the salary she makes is about ten times what any Odessa firm would pay Daria keeps the job-and learns some inventive ways of putting off Mr. Harmon. But it all starts falling apart when the stand in mistress Daria obtained for Harmon wants her job...

For extra security Daria goes to moonlight at a matchmaking firm-Soviet Unions. The Western men she meets don't exactly sell her on the process, but her friendship with American missionaries and visitors to Odessa has left her with a lust for all things American. So when a perfectly nice man starts e-courting Daria she has a choice to make-stay in the city she loves (and maybe with a mobster she has mixed feelings about) or leave her grandmother, friends and country behind for the land of the free-and a man she hardly knows.

This is a really fantastic book-sort of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes meets "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." It's not only an incredibly entertaining tale (Daria's first person narration will have you falling in love with her after a page or two) it's a very real, often harsh look at the expectations of women around the world, and the extremes that a person will go to to find love.

Every now and then I read a book that wasn't just good, wasn't just great, but really made me feel lucky to have read (and envious of those who have yet to read it) and "Moonlight in Odessa" is just such a book. It's an excellent story that flows between black humor and blacker reality, love, lust family, friends and what we so often take for granted-the wonderful freedom of choice.

And the information about the culture, economy and just the way things are done in Odessa was absolutely fascinating. Odessa itself has moved up fairly high on the list of places I have to visit list. Every word written about it is so clearly filled with affection and respect for the city and its people-it's very obvious that the author knows and loves Odessa well.

Janet Skeslien Charles, I salute you. Excellent book. Now when is the next one coming out?

Five stars.

I wanted to read MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA because it was compared with A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN and I had found the latter book interesting.

Yet MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA is more than merely interesting: It is fascinating and complex. TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN is about a Soviet mail order bride who comes to the United State to marry. She is cruel, calculating and greedy. The heroine of MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA is just the opposite, and this novel examines the reverse of that same dynamic.

Reading MOONLIGHT, it is obvious that these women who come from foreign lands to marry U.S. citizens they barely know need protections not dissimilar to those offered to children who are about to be adopted, including inspections of their future husbands and homes by social workers.

MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA is a complex and touching story. Reading it, it is hard to believe that author Janet Skeslien Charles was born and raised in Montana, so thoroughly does she seem to be inhabited by a Ukrainian soul, understanding the fears, the hopes and the needs of the citizens of that country. She is especially strong is describing Odessa and the pride that its natives take in their city.

When she finally brings her heroine to the States, Charles is uncanny of her descriptions of this country as seen through the eyes of a foreigner.

In some ways -- wonderful ways -- MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA is a classic fairytale, complete with the ultimate bad boy who might not be all that bad and a frog who very well may turn into a prince. In the best possible way, MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA ends in possibility.

Or, you may overlook what you have before you while you are gazing at the stars. This is precisely what happens to the protagonist of "Moonlight in Odessa."

Living in Odessa, Ukraine, Daria is an educated woman who dreams of moving to the United States. Employed by an Israeli shipping firm as a secretary, Daria actually functions as a liaison between her boss, David Harmon, and the intricacies of the local business, mob, and government entities. Initially, David is portrayed as a man more interested in sex than business; he eventually proves his friendship and, in the end, his love for Daria.

In order to supplement her income and to practice her English, Daria also works as an interpreter for a matchmaking agency where lonely American men can meet Odessan women. Daria begins an e-mail correspondence with Tristain, one of the men who is using the matchmaking service. The two eventually marry, but Daria learns that all is not as she was led to believe. Only after reclaiming her self-worth and acknowledging her mistakes does Daria find what she has been seeking - the freedoms America has to offer and the love of a good man (David).

While portions of "Moonlight in Odessa" are filled with wry humor and gentle wit, the book does not have a light theme. Rather, it is filled with the choices people make to gain what they wish for and with the consequences of those choices. In particular, I found the second half of the book oppressive in nature. I was distressed by Daria's restrictive and unhappy marriage to a controlling, insecure man. If you have known anyone or have been someone who has been in a similar situation, you will find yourself tensing up throughout that portion of the novel. Only when Daria regained her self-respect and took back control over her life, was I able to relax.

I rated this book four stars because I felt the characters did not have as much substance as they could have had. Daria's grandmother Boba was one of the more interesting individuals; Daria, on the other hand, did not have the depth I expected from the main character. The male characters were not fully developed, but remained on the periphery of the story. This occurred even though they actually affected the action and storyline to a great extent. Nevertheless, the overall book is well written and easy to follow. It is a novel that can be read rather quickly, picked up after interruptions, and still enjoyed.

The topic of Russian mail order brides is a hot one these days with so much controversy swirling around these desperate young women eager to take advantage of the capital growth of the western world following the fall of Communist USSR.

Janet Skeslin Charles has a solid hit on her hands with her remarkable heroine, Daria. From the first page to the last I was so involved with this character it was as tho she was alive and real. My concerns and hopes only evolved with the story and no matter how cynical or precarious the situation I marveled over Daria's bravery and strength, this woman is NEVER a victim, always a survivor!

I assume that the realism of this book is based on the author's experiences in the Ukraine, in which she lived for many years. Indeed, I came to imagine her as Jane, Daria's loyal American friend who relentlessly tries to help her Ukrainian friend improve her lot in life. If this is so, it warms my heart that there is in fact an actual Daria out there on whom this book is based.

Moonlight in Odessa tells the story of Daria, a beautiful and cultured young engineer who struggles to rise above the bleak plight of women in post-Soviet UkraineĀ's failing economy. Surrounded by women who are forced to make the most painful of compromises, Daria struggles to maintain her integrity despite the constant threats to her security and happiness.

Initially, I was concerned that this book would be too depressing: reading about women who must sacrifice their bodies, values, and personal integrity in order to survive in a developed nation in the 21st century does not engender a sense of hopefulness. But, ultimately, Moonlight in Odessa is a complex and satisfying read about a young woman whose goodness, steadfastness, and stubbornness lead her to a place of authentic contentment.

[...]

A lovely story giving us a view of a young woman's life in Odessa as she looks for love in all the wrong places, trying to escape her difficult life. Be careful what you wish for - her life in America does not make her any happier. Daria is a special heroine with a big heart.