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The Genius Under the Table
The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain | Eugene Yelchin
7 posts | 10 read | 9 to read
With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia. Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room? He's not a star athlete or a legendary ballet dancer. In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood in Cold War Russia as a young boy desperate to understand his place in his family.
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Ellen_C
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Pickpick

Great memoir for kids about writer/artist Yelchin‘s childhood in Leningrad. He is trying to figure out his talent and get answers about the past but it makes everyone nervous. https://cannonballread.com/2022/10/the-genius-under-the-table-growing-up-behind-...

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erzascarletbookgasm
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Pickpick

I enjoyed reading this memoir of Yelchin recounting his childhood in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. I like how it provides a good blend of humour and seriousness amidst the backdrop of the tensions of Cold War, KGB spies, and anti-semitism. Although a #middlegrade book, it has many layers that adult readers will discover. And I was amused by the grandmother‘s outspokenness and wit.

52 likes4 stack adds
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ReadingEnvy
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Mehso-so

I slid into the non-fiction quarter of #readingenvyrussia with a short illustrated memoir of a childhood under the "iron curtain." I loved the illustrations, particularly of the mother, always shown in one ballet position or another. These were difficult times and moreso for this family, being Jewish. There is no indication of what happened later on in his life, so it just feels like a capture of a moment in time.

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BiblioLitten
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Pickpick

“…told with such exquisite humor and illustrated with such wonderful, biting drawings that, in spite of its darkness, I savoured every word, and every picture. A treat.” ~ Uri Shulevitz

#onesittingread #mustread

erzascarletbookgasm On my loans shelf. Hope to get to it soon. 3y
BiblioLitten @erzascarletbookgasm You‘ll love it! 3y
charl08 Looks wonderful. 3y
See All 8 Comments
jlhammar Great book! 3y
EvieBee I am SO glad you read this! I had to buy a copy because I loved it so much! 3y
BiblioLitten @EvieBee I‘m going to buy a copy too. It‘s a wonderful book to gift too (all ages) 3y
EvieBee @BiblioLitten definitely! And sadly very timely. 3y
BiblioLitten @EvieBee Yes, I was thinking the same 😔🌻 3y
46 likes2 stack adds8 comments
blurb
Sharpeipup
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30 likes1 stack add
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

Captivating memoir. Playful pencil drawings bring the text alive. Yelchin recounts his childhood in Soviet Russia with humor and warmth.

EvieBee I so enjoyed this. Actually made me tear up. 3y
jlhammar @EvieBee Yes, loved your review! Felt the same way about this one. I think I read that he may be working on a follow-up memoir that picks up where this one left off. I hope so! 3y
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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EvieBee
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Pickpick

I loved this book. I wish everyone could read it! It‘s a very funny but touching #memoir about growing up in #Russia during the Cold War. Lots of drawings and doodles that touch on the Soviet experience from a Jewish angle. I‘ve already ordered a copy to keep. Reminds me a lot of the book tagged ⬇️. #middlegrade

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EvieBee @Suet624 I saw your review of A Backpack, a Bear…and I think this is a must-read for you. Definitely. 3y
Suet624 Oh, thank you for the recommendation! I‘ll start hunting for it. 3y
EvieBee @Suet624 You‘re welcome! I can‘t wait until you two meet. 💕 3y
Suet624 😍😍😍 3y
67 likes5 stack adds5 comments