In the idyll of the English countryside, on a beautiful summer's evening in a Kent field, and around their two caravans, a little group of strawberry pickers is getting ready to celebrate a birthday. But who picks our strawberries these days? The Ukrainians: Irina, just off the coach from Kiev, and eager to improve her excellent English and find true love with a romantic Englishman; Andriy, the miner's son from the other Ukraine; the Poles: Bob Dylan fan, Tomasz, (whose smelly trainers will soon punish those in the men's caravan), Yola, the petite, voluptuous gangmistress and her religious niece Marta, who finds the wild mushrooms to cook with the sliced loaf; then there is Vitaly, king of the new mobilfon world of the shiny new Eastern Europe; two Chinese girls; Emanuel, the round eyed eighteen-year-old from Malawi, come to England to look for his sister. And although he can't exactly help pick strawberries, there's also the Dog...But these are a group leading dangerous lives - exploitative employers, British regulations and gang masters with guns will all threaten their existence as they take to the caravan road until each of them peels off to find their destiny. Hilarious, gritty, moving, and slapstick by turns, "Two Caravans" has every bit of the extraordinary distinctiveness and wit and heart that made "A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian" so successful.
Two Caravans
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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 ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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 ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
`A great romp...with considerable heart and winsomeness'
Literary Review
Literary Review
`Heartfelt and funny...packs as big a punch as any hard-hitting political
polemic' Daily Mail
`Immensely appealing. All but sings with zest for life ... could hardly be
more engaging, shrewd and winningly perceptive' Sunday Times
`Hilarious and horrifying, Two Caravans is funny, clever and well-observed'
Guardian
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
There is a field - a broad south-sloping field sitting astride a long hill that curves away into a secret leafy valley. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
There is a field - a broad south-sloping field sitting astride a long hill that curves away into a secret leafy valley. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is as good as her first book - a sometimes bleak and sometimes very funny story about the lives of Polish fruit pickers. The only thing is that it is the same book as Two Caravans, republished under a different title, which I already had. I think that this is a deplorable publishing tactic. If you haven't got it under either title, buy it - it's well worth a read. But don't get conned as I was.
100 of 102 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
We made the mistake of buying this book and two caravans. They are identical just published under a different title.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Janie U
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
This book is dedicated to the Chinese migrant workers who died in Morcambe Bay several years ago which is a very touching gesture, showing the vulnerability of any illegal migrant worker, which includes many of the characters in the book.
I loved reading the odd preconceived ideas that the characters had of English people before they had got to know many and wondered whether much of this had been from the authors own experiences within the Ukrainian community.
There was also loads of action through the book which kept me tied to the page.
I had big expectations of "Tractors" before I read it due to the award nominations and publicity it had received and was ultimately disappointed. This book had not received a huge amount of publicity and I enjoyed it tremendously (not sure whether that is a genuine comment about the quality of the book or about measurement against expectations....)
The humour that was brought in was very clever, particularly considering the desperate working and living conditions.
A character from "Tractors" cleverly features in this book, although this was in no way a sequel.
The only disappointing part was the last 30 or so pages when the evironmental warrior characters are introduced. It seemed to me this was too late in a book to introduce a completely new set of people without the opportunity to develop them in any way - maybe the next book will be based around them.....
I loved reading the odd preconceived ideas that the characters had of English people before they had got to know many and wondered whether much of this had been from the authors own experiences within the Ukrainian community.
There was also loads of action through the book which kept me tied to the page.
I had big expectations of "Tractors" before I read it due to the award nominations and publicity it had received and was ultimately disappointed. This book had not received a huge amount of publicity and I enjoyed it tremendously (not sure whether that is a genuine comment about the quality of the book or about measurement against expectations....)
The humour that was brought in was very clever, particularly considering the desperate working and living conditions.
A character from "Tractors" cleverly features in this book, although this was in no way a sequel.
The only disappointing part was the last 30 or so pages when the evironmental warrior characters are introduced. It seemed to me this was too late in a book to introduce a completely new set of people without the opportunity to develop them in any way - maybe the next book will be based around them.....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!
This book is a great read, it takes you on a thought provoking journey of many emotions - the characters are beautifully described.
Published 6 days ago by Michele A Ashby
5.0 out of 5 stars
Empathetic...
I finished this book a few days ago.
I've just read a review in which the author states that they dislike all the characters.
I could not agree less. Read more
I've just read a review in which the author states that they dislike all the characters.
I could not agree less. Read more
Published 28 days ago by Si
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two caravans
Loved this book. Very funny and sensitively written. Gives great insight into difficulties immigrants face as well. I would highly recommend it.
Published 3 months ago by julie robson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing really...............
I was looking forward to reading this - its critics on the front cover call it 'hilarious' and 'a funny, charming, rollicking road trip' Really? Read more
Published 3 months ago by G. R. Swain
3.0 out of 5 stars
A touching and thoroughly humane book
This book is a delightful read. The author loves and understands her characters, and not only the human ones, but she even manages to get inside the mind of the dog which plays an... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ms. Sasha Lubetkin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Laughter to disgust
This is a brilliant book and I have read it more than once. After borrowing it from the library I decided I wanted a copy of my own to read again. Read more
Published 6 months ago by A. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard hitting and inspired
After the success of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, it seemed unlikely that Marina Lewycka would be able to repeat her success. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jon Chambers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another brilliant amusing but distrubing read from this great Author
Bought this immediately after reading her bestselling debut " history of tractors" novel. I thought this was better with more depth and a disturbing undercurrent that really makes... Read more
Published 7 months ago by bigndav
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful
An original storyline that is funny and a delight to read. A really refreshing book and in my opinion a better read than, ".. Tractors in Ukranian".
Published 7 months ago by Annie
3.0 out of 5 stars
Over-hyped
I enjoyed A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian much more than this book. I found the comic element promised on the cover to be largely overstated, and the quirky mixed -up... Read more
Published 8 months ago by cahodgson
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