Customer Reviews

Vaclav & Lena: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Vaclav & Lena is set in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Both characters are Russian émigrés - children 10 and 9 years old. Vaclav has a fair grasp of the English language but is keen to master it. His mother Rasia is loving and kind, determined to make a better life for her son. Lena's life is much different - she has no support at the place she calls home, often has nothing to eat, does poorly in school and tries to blend into the woodwork in an effort to hide. Rasia does her best to mother her as well.

Vaclav and Lena share a love of magic and dream of the day when Vaclav will be a famous magician and Lena will be his stunning assistant. When Lena disappears from his life under never discussed circumstances, Vaclav is heartbroken. Until the day seven years later when their paths cross again....

Vaclav is such an earnest, eager, spirited child. He sees the positive in everything around him. He dreams of the future. The barriers placed in his way do not stop him or deter him. This character touched me so much and literally brought tears to my eyes.

"Rasia looks at Vaclav, holding these dollar bills, smiling his goofy smile. Most people do not really mean their smiles, most of the time. For most people, their smiles are a lie, a trick, or a promise. Vaclav's smile is just a smile, and he always means it."

Two years ago I worked in a very small library. Every day we were open, a young boy, his sister, mother and baby brother came in after school. They were recent immigrants from an Eastern bloc country. The oldest boy had attended school in his home country, his language carried an accent and mangled syntax, he was awkward socially, but tried so hard to fit in. It broke my heart to see him rebuffed by the other children. I can only imagine what his mother felt. She and her husband had chosen to seek a better life for their children.

Rasia's love for Vaclav...

"As she watched him walk out into the big American crowd, under the big American roller coaster, she felt the world spinning wildly away from her, and she sat and cried because she was happy and sad that he did not look back, because of how much she loved his little body, and his awkward, cowlicky head and that tiny rib cage, and the way that he knew, already, to take a girl's hand if she was afraid."

Tanner has perfectly captured what I observed. The dialogue, feelings, emotions, situations and settings all evoke and capture the experience of a new citizen from a child's and parent's view.

But there is much more to the story - it is a tale of tenacity, love and hope. Vaclav & Lena is a rich, poignant narrative that will capture you from first page to last. Loved it! I look forward to reading what Tanner writes next.

I am afraid to say that "Vaclav and Lena" is a coming-of-age story for fear that will turn people off, because this book is anything but cliché. Vaclav and Lena are Russian-Americans in modern-day New York. The story is told from the viewpoints of Vaclav, Lena and Vaclav's mother, Rasia, but mostly we live in Vaclav's world. At ten, he is a budding magician, and his life revolves around developing his magic show. Lena is his beautiful assistant, and they spend hours together planning and making lists. Rasia struggles to be a good "American" parent to Vaclav. They share the struggles that immigrants and first-generation American's face. Vaclav and Lena meet in ESL classes and sit with the other "smelly lunch" children. Vaclav's father revisits Russia every night on satellite TV.

I was charmed by young Vaclav and his dreams. I was charmed by his love for Lena and Rasia. I was charmed by his naiveté. I wanted to be Vaclav's friend.

The style of the book is spot on. Between the narrative and action, we listen to the characters think out loud, and Tanner's prose mimics the mental tug-of-war that we all experience. The tussle between what we believe and what is real. The seesaw of she-loves-me-she-loves-me-not. The quandary between right and good.

As the minds of Vaclav, Lena and Rasia race to the conclusion, so does the reader. This is one of those books that grabs hold and doesn't let go. I sacrificed sleep to be able to finish it and was not disappointed. The book is not so much about uncovering secrets as finding out how everyone will respond when the secrets are out.

I am a sucker for a debut novel, and this is Tanner's first. It made me nostalgic for Irving's "Setting Free the Bears." Some people might have difficulty with the simplicity of the language or the first-generation English of the characters, but I think that was part of the appeal.

I received this book as an ARC through Shelf Awareness. I immediately wanted to read it, because it sounded like such a sweet story, but it goes a lot deeper than just a romance between two people. Vaclav and Lena were first forced together when they were young, neither one really having any friends. Their imperfect English held them back from fully connecting with the American kids they went to school with. However, when they were together, they knew that the other would accept them unconditionally. It was easy to how much Vaclav adored Lena and that he would do anything for her. It was obvious that Lena cared for Vaclav as well, but her shocking and appalling home life made her extremely introverted; it was as if she had a wall up, even around her best friend, Vaclav. I could sense that there was something darker going on in Lena's home life that wasn't coming to light at the beginning, something more awful than just being left to fend for herself all of the time. My heart broke when Lena disappeared from Vaclav's life. She was his world, his sun and she was simply ripped away from him. No goodbyes, no finality. Just left to wonder if he would ever see her again.

The first part of the book went between telling the story from Vaclav and Lena's perspectives. I liked that, as it was nice to get a glimpse into what both of them were going through (although like I said, Lena remained somewhat of a mystery). The middle of the book takes place 7 years later and it is split up into two parts: Lena's story and Vaclav's story. This gives a lot more insight into Lena's life, especially in the time when she was very young, before she even met Vaclav. I think the sweetest thing is that even after all of that time, Vaclav still said goodnight to Lena, every single night. He was afraid that if he stopped doing so something bad would happen to her. Even after all of the time they spent apart, she was still the last thing he thought about before he went to bed.

Each section of the book is split up into little chapters. I liked the cute, descriptive chapter names (you'll see what I mean when you read it!) and I loved how short the chapters were. They were each like little stories all in their own. The last part of the book reveals a lot of answers I had been waiting for the whole time and that is why I'm not going to go into too much more detail about the book.

I do want to share one of my favorite quotes from the book (however, keep in mind that I read the ARC, so things might be different in the finished copy):

"Vaclav had already known that she was sitting there before he even saw her. He had felt her looking at him, He had known it was her, had to be her, because he felt, suddenly, the compulsion to turn and look at that bench, to look in her direction, like there were magnets in his eyes and she was a supermagnetized hunk of some other planet, just fallen to earth."

This was a wonderful book, showing how love can withstand space and time. It also shows how childhood can shape a person, for better or worse. I definitely recommend giving this book a chance; it's a fairly quick read, especially since I couldn't put it down, and it was impossible not to feel for the characters and fall in love with them.

I was kind of looking forward to reading this book after coming across a magazine review but ended up being less than impressed. The plot is fairly simple and very predictable. However, my much bigger issue is with the whole Russianness of the books.

With the two exceptions (Vaclav and the social worker, Anna), every Russian character is presented negatively in one way or the other, be it the physical ugliness or the moral one. Usually it's both. In fact, majority of the Russian characters are just plain sociopaths (the "grandmother", the actual grandmother, the two elderly neighbors - the list goes on and on). Everything that's Russian in the book (be it the appearance of a house, smell of food, the country itself) is ugly, disgusting, etc. A more balanced look would give more credibility to the author's knowledge of the subject.

Secondly, based on the way the author described life in Russia, I assumed that the story takes place in the middle of the last century, not the 1990s. And all these clichés... Prostitutes - check, alcoholic - check, tea drinking - check. Oy.

Finally, there are these seemingly minor comments and statements throughout the book that, as one who is probably more intimately familiar with the Russian immigrant community than the author, I just couldn't swallow:

- There is no way in hell you would find Wonder bread and peanut butter in a typical Russian immigrants' kitchen.

- In my 15+ years here I have yet to meet a family that would ban Russian language at home. Based on my personal experience, which among other things includes knowing several dozens Russian families in the US, it is quite the opposite. People go out of their way to preserve the native language and to make sure their kids can still speak it, as it is so easy to lose this battle once kids start going to school. As a side note - let's assume for a moment that a family would indeed ban the native language at home and be content with living a daily life of very primitive conversations in poor, broken English. Why would then Russian TV constantly be on, as it is in this book?

- I had to laugh at the statement of Vaclav's family ending up in Brooklyn by "luck". Had the author chosen, say, El Paso, TX, luck would have made some sense. Brooklyn houses a very prominent Russian community. It is almost shocking when new immigrants DON'T make it their first stop in the US.

That being said, I thought the author's ability to convey her characters' inner worlds was wonderful. There are many beautiful paragraphs that touched me, made me feel the characters' pain, anguish, pride, love... I will definitely check out her next book, hopefully its plot will match the characters' depth.

I know I have read a great book when I lean back in my chair with a satisfied sigh after turning the last page. Vaclav and Lena is one of those books. Haley Tanner created beautiful visions for me of this Russian community in NYC and I could hear the accented English in all of the characters' voices. I especially loved Rasia and her expressions. In her voice, I heard the love and concern of all mothers.
Vaclav is an endearing boy, full of magic, hope, excitement and simple joy. Lena is his contrast - small, silent and secretive. Lean survives in her young and difficult life by minimizing her presence in the world and that is so heartbreaking. This love story encompasses all of the characters, not only Vaclav and Lena but also those who surround them.
Put this book on your summer reading list. You will not be disappointed.

Affecting, poignant, unforgettable all describe Haley Tanner's wonderful debut novel VACLAV & LENA. One would be hard-pressed to think of anyone who would not be touched by her story, especially when read by two such talented actors as Kirby Heyborne and Rebecca Lowman.

A gifted and versatile performer Heyborne has received acclaim for not only his acting but his music (four solo albums) and his comedy. Lowman brings a wealth of stage, film and television experience to her narration. An inimitable pairing for this narration! Listen as they introduce us to Vaclav and Lena who first meet as children when they're enrolled in an English as a Second Language class in Brooklyn. Both are six-year-old Russian immigrants.

Drawn to one another they begin to play a game. He is to be a magician; she will be his assistant. Every day after school they practice their act; they grow closer and make promises. For instance, when they perform on the boardwalk at Coney Island they'll be billed as Vaclav the Magnificent and his assistant, the Lovely Lena. Another vow is that they will be together forever.

Vaclav's mother, Rasia, is sympathetic toward Lena who has no family but lives in an apartment with an aunt. Rasia walks Lena home every night after supper and is aware of the messy shabbiness of Lena's apartment as well as the unsavory way her aunt makes a living.

One day Lena does not show up for class. Rasia is stunned with what she finds when she goes to look for her and cannot bring herself to tell the frantic Vaclav the truth. Time passes until Vaclav is 17 and his phone rings - it is Lena. Yes, they are together again yet in Tanner's gifted hands there is more to come.

VACLAV & LENA is a love story that reminds us of the strength and redemptive power of love.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

As a Russian immigrant who grew up in Brooklyn from the age of 10, I found the book to be insulting to my community.

Every cliche is there. The Russians watch Russian TV, there's a glass of vodka present at all times, they're former architects turned taxi drivers, the kids are in ESL for years and years, borsch or some other meal made out of cabbage is always present. It goes on and on.

The lack of research is the most infuriating thing. The main character, Vaclav (not a very common name in Russian) comes from a family that insists he learn English from an early age. In fact he was learning it before they even immigrated to America. The mother forbids him to speak Russian at home and doesn't even speak Russian herself with family and acquaintances. How is it that a child who has been enveloped in English since the age of 4 and is seemingly bright is still in ESL at the age of 10?

I came to America at the age of 10 and was done with ESL by 11. I spoke like any other American by 12. A younger child would adapt even faster. It seems like the author was just too lazy to check.

All enjoyment of this book was killed by the constant contradictions I found between her description of the Russian emigre experience and the real thing.

This is a heart-tugging tale about the complex, and enduring relationship between two Russian immigrants who meet when they are 5 years old. Vaclav, an aspiring magician, lives with his parents, and Lena, a tiny, skinny girl who is his "assistant," lives with "The Aunt," who neglects her terribly. Lena spends most of her time at Vaclav's house and over the years their friendship grows into a deep attachment. Then something happens that tears them apart.

This story is beautifully written, and the characters well-developed so that the reader can feel the longing between them when they are separated. It's a difficult book to put down, and easy to become invested in the story.

The letdown for me was in the lack of "payoff" of the story. After a great deal of slow, deliciously painful buildup, things seem to wrap up rather abruptly. Without giving away details, the ending felt too sudden-- as if it weren't supposed to happen yet, and I found myself turning the pages to look for more story only to be disappointed.

Overall, this was a moving read with endearing characters and beautiful writing, but the transition from slow build-up to sudden wrap-up seemed to cut its potential a bit short. Still, I certainly look forward to more from this clearly talented author. Three and a half stars.

This book was everything I'd hoped it would be and so much more...I was a bit annoyed that other reviewers gave so many details away (sorry, fellow reviewers!) but even so, nothing can describe the journey this book will take you on. I grew up with immigrant parents very nearby to this particular section of Brooklyn and was so touched by how well she sets the scene. Each character will move you in both good and otherwise. This is a powerful, magical love story that will stay with you for a long time. My only true disappointment is that this is a debut novel and there are not 100 novels waiting for me to devour!!

Once upon a time, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, a young boy named Vaclav - an aspiring magician - falls in love with a thin, skittish girl named Lena. And, like any alchemy, the combustion is magical...and it endures.

There is a refreshing fairy tale quality about Vaclav & Lena, a lovely debut book by Haley Tanner. Slowly but surely, I fell under the spellbinding tale of this would-be magician and his girl. It's an endearing tale that unfolds with gentle fireworks rather than major pyrotechnics - rather like the magic seen in the starlit sky on a summer's night in Coney Island.

Vaclav is a young boy hero: extremely bright, precocious, very loyal and good, and filled with innocent dreams of becoming a famous magician. Central to this goal is the assistance of Lena, a troubled and introverted girl who is imprisoned by her lack of an English vocabulary. In the midst of their grand plans, Vaclav's caring mother, Rasia, unearths a tragic secret about Lena's home life with her negligent, drug-addicted aunt. And overnight - for Vaclav - Lena vanishes into thin air, like a cruel magic trick.

Fast-forward seven years. Vaclav is now a tall, handsome teenager, attending Brooklyn Tech, thoroughly assimilated into American culture, with a svelte American girlfriend. It's all come together with him with one exception: he misses his childhood love. Eventually, the reader is reacquainted with Lena and we learn what has happened to her in the interceding years and who she has become in the interim.

In a less capable writer's hands, this book would simply be a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-regains-girl formula book, with the Russian émigré theme as a major overlay. But Haley Tanner is more than "merely capable." She writes a love story and like all real love stories, there's a touch of magic that's part-and-parcel with the theme. In one interview, she says, "Magicians are like story-tellers in that we know that the quarter does not disappear, that the woman is not sliced in half, but we suspend our disbelief for a time and allow ourselves to be carried away. It is the same thing we do when we read a novel about a character we know to be fictional, but we cry and laugh and love along with them anyway."

We believe in that magic. There is inevitability in this book, a strong belief that love will eventually find its way and what's meant to be will be. "How did it happen," Vaclav ponders, "that Lena went overnight from a yearning to an addiction? She seems to have planted herself into this life and sprouted, almost instantly, without his knowing, from a tiny seed into an entire jungle." We become enchanted with the idea that Vaclav possesses the determination - and Lena possesses the will - to trick ordinary fate and prevail. As a result, we are able to strip away the minor flaws in the plot and pacing (such as repetition) and surrender to the overall ambiance.

Vaclav & Lena crosses over to the YA category in the best way; as instruction on the distorted thinking of young and unaware children and the awkward diction and resulting problems of non-English-speaking immigrants. It has much to say about trauma and healing, the role of repressed memories, the assimilation of Russian immigrants, and the real magic we can perform through healing lies and unconditional love. And, as a one-time Brooklynite, I felt the sense of place was excellently depicted. Simply magical.