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Otherland: A Journey With My Daughter
"I left too early, before tanks rolled into Moscow in 1991, and before Gorbachev was put under home arrest in a failed coup. I left before Russia and Ukraine became separate countries, before the KGB archives were opened, before the Russian version of Wheel of Fortune , before the word 'Gulag' appeared in textbooks. I left before Chechnya, before the mass renaming of cities and streets, before you could go into a shop and actually purchase the books of Brodsky, Pasternak and Nabokov. I left too early, I missed the whole point. I was not there when my generation was cornered by history." Maria Tumarkin travels with her Australian-born teenage daughter, Billie, back to Russia and Ukraine so she can experience first-hand the seismic shifts of her family's native country. For Maria the trip back is no simple stroll down memory lane. Splintered and scattered across the world, her generation has ended up inhabiting vastly different realities. Along with exploring the political and cultural fallout of a century of turmoil, Maria wanted to bring together the worlds of her mother and daughter—the different continents, histories, and experiences they encompassed. Before they set off, Maria wistfully imagined her and Billie's hearts beating in unison as they traveled back to a past they could both understand, forging a nearly superhuman bond along the way. But, in Maria and Billie's case, the past was not simply another country, but one that no longer existed. This is the story of a six-week trip traversing three generations, three lifetimes, and three profoundly different but profoundly interconnected stories of mothers and daughters.
314 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
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170 people want to read
About the author
Maria Tumarkin
10 books67 followersMaria Tumarkin is a writer and cultural historian. Her most recent book, AXIOMATIC, will be published by Transit Books in the US in September 2019. She is the author of three previous books of ideas Traumascapes, Courage, and Otherland, all of which received critical acclaim in Australia, where she lives.
In Australia, Axiomatic, won the Melbourne Prize for Literature’s Best Writing Award.
In Australia, Axiomatic, won the Melbourne Prize for Literature’s Best Writing Award.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 3, 2023
#ReadAroundTheWorld”. #Ukraine
”I left too early, I missed the whole point. I was not there when my generation was cornered by history.”
This is the memoir of a woman returning to her home country of Ukraine with her 12 year old Australian-born daughter Billie. Maria left Ukraine as a 15 year-old, with her Jewish family, in 1989, when it was still part of the Soviet Union. Returning twenty years later to show Billie her homeland creates the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends but also to examine the seismic sociopolitical changes the country had undergone.
Tumarkin makes comments on communism, politics, feminism and quotes many Russian and Ukrainian poets and writers. She observes and makes interesting comments on the way women around her dress and behave.
“Women dressed as if being guided by comfort and self-restraint in choosing their clothes was an insult to the very idea of femininity. You can always pick the non-Russians in this crowd; they are the ones who leave their killer heels, their yummy pants and their volumising mascara for special occasions, not realising that life is passing them by as they prance around in their fisherman pants and their Converse sneakers…for at least one hundred years women have been the stronger sex, when it counts, in Russia. To them the idea that lipsticks and heels are tools of oppression sounds desperately foreign. For decades it was the very absence of such items from Russian stores, and the resulting need to hunt far and wide for them or to go without, that women found oppressive.”
She also makes astute observations on the feminism of communism, the equality yet disproportionate burden. “For many decades, the official Soviet rhetoric of equality and emancipation was maintained against a backdrop of actual startling inequality coupled with an unquestioning expectation of women's readiness for self-sacrifice. Yes, there were countless women engineers and women doctors in the Soviet Union at a time when their Western stepsisters were left to contend with the 'teacher, nurse or secretary' trifecta. During World War II Soviet women did not just bandage the wounded or manufacture ammunitions, they led tank divisions and operated machine guns…The 'glass ceiling' may have been well and truly broken for Soviet women, but the shards of the shattered glass lodged themselves in every aspect of women's everyday existence…Soviet women were repeatedly told how far they had come compared to their bourgeois counterparts – after all, the existence of the vast majority of tragically domesticated Western women was summed up by the Three K's in the atavistic German slogan popular under Hitler: Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church). The irony, of course, was that neither Kinder nor Küche had disappeared from the equation for 'liberated' Soviet women, while the Party was to prove far more demanding and omnipresent than the Kirche. Women were essentially the slaves of the slaves, with little leisure to contemplate the difficulties of their two-tier subjugation. It was not a question of wanting it all, but rather of doing it all – work, children, housework, community work and sex.”
She also visits Babi Yar, the site of the largest single massacre during the Holocaust, where at least thirty-three thousand Jewish men, women and children were murdered in two days in 1941.
The book details honestly her struggles with, and expectations of her daughter Billie. I found it to be a well-written memoir that deals with the personal and provides insights into the atrocities and millions of deaths under Stalin and the turbulence of post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine. It did become overly introspective and analytical at times and drag a little at some points. 4 stars.
”I left too early, I missed the whole point. I was not there when my generation was cornered by history.”
This is the memoir of a woman returning to her home country of Ukraine with her 12 year old Australian-born daughter Billie. Maria left Ukraine as a 15 year-old, with her Jewish family, in 1989, when it was still part of the Soviet Union. Returning twenty years later to show Billie her homeland creates the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends but also to examine the seismic sociopolitical changes the country had undergone.
Tumarkin makes comments on communism, politics, feminism and quotes many Russian and Ukrainian poets and writers. She observes and makes interesting comments on the way women around her dress and behave.
“Women dressed as if being guided by comfort and self-restraint in choosing their clothes was an insult to the very idea of femininity. You can always pick the non-Russians in this crowd; they are the ones who leave their killer heels, their yummy pants and their volumising mascara for special occasions, not realising that life is passing them by as they prance around in their fisherman pants and their Converse sneakers…for at least one hundred years women have been the stronger sex, when it counts, in Russia. To them the idea that lipsticks and heels are tools of oppression sounds desperately foreign. For decades it was the very absence of such items from Russian stores, and the resulting need to hunt far and wide for them or to go without, that women found oppressive.”
She also makes astute observations on the feminism of communism, the equality yet disproportionate burden. “For many decades, the official Soviet rhetoric of equality and emancipation was maintained against a backdrop of actual startling inequality coupled with an unquestioning expectation of women's readiness for self-sacrifice. Yes, there were countless women engineers and women doctors in the Soviet Union at a time when their Western stepsisters were left to contend with the 'teacher, nurse or secretary' trifecta. During World War II Soviet women did not just bandage the wounded or manufacture ammunitions, they led tank divisions and operated machine guns…The 'glass ceiling' may have been well and truly broken for Soviet women, but the shards of the shattered glass lodged themselves in every aspect of women's everyday existence…Soviet women were repeatedly told how far they had come compared to their bourgeois counterparts – after all, the existence of the vast majority of tragically domesticated Western women was summed up by the Three K's in the atavistic German slogan popular under Hitler: Kinder, Küche, Kirche (Children, Kitchen, Church). The irony, of course, was that neither Kinder nor Küche had disappeared from the equation for 'liberated' Soviet women, while the Party was to prove far more demanding and omnipresent than the Kirche. Women were essentially the slaves of the slaves, with little leisure to contemplate the difficulties of their two-tier subjugation. It was not a question of wanting it all, but rather of doing it all – work, children, housework, community work and sex.”
She also visits Babi Yar, the site of the largest single massacre during the Holocaust, where at least thirty-three thousand Jewish men, women and children were murdered in two days in 1941.
The book details honestly her struggles with, and expectations of her daughter Billie. I found it to be a well-written memoir that deals with the personal and provides insights into the atrocities and millions of deaths under Stalin and the turbulence of post-Soviet Russia and Ukraine. It did become overly introspective and analytical at times and drag a little at some points. 4 stars.
June 21, 2010
I loved this book! It was an emotional read, at times heartbreaking. I read this one slowly to savour it but also because I had to take breaks to process what I had read and the emotions I was feeling. It is a book I believe will stay with me forever. I learnt a lot about the history of Russia, not really having dabbled in that area before and Maria Tumarkin has written Otherland so well that it doesn’t feel like a history lesson. Her words are captivating, making you want to read more and also giving you a sense of being in these times and places yourself.
I finished this book a while ago and have finally come to the point of writing the review. Let me say there is much to discuss so this review will be quite lengthy. I hope you have a cup of tea or coffee at the ready and that you will sit back, read and enjoy.
Otherland is many things, a memoir, a travelogue, a history lesson and a personal journey. Most of all it is about relationships between mothers and daughters and how time and circumstances affect friendships, making them stronger and in some cases making them weaker. Maria currently lives in Melbourne after leaving her home in Kharkar as a 15-year-old with her Jewish family in 1989. Otherland is the six-week journey Maria and her daughter Billie, an Australian born 12-year-old, take to Maria’s homeland. Maria wants to revisit her old life and show Billie where her mother lived, take her to sites of historical importance, as well as personal importance, and introduce her to family and friends from a day gone by. Along the way there are trials, much emotion and some confronting situations. Maria’s childhood friend Sasha, for example, doesn’t want to meet up. Perhaps she is scared of what they have both become, Maria having left the country on the day of Sasha’s sixteenth birthday and Sasha staying through the hardship. Turning sixteen is big enough in itself but to have your best friend up and leave on this day must have been quite emotional. At times I felt maybe a sense of guilt from Maria at having been the one who left and was leading a better life in better circumstances.
Billie takes a little time to adapt to this foreign country. After being at the Moscow Metro she wants to go home, feeling out of place, not being able to speak Russian. As you can imagine this would be quite an ordeal for a young girl but having come this far Maria and Billie continue on, building their bond stronger along the way. Maria tries to see things through Billie’s eyes, after all Billie is seeing things for the first time and Maria has been here before. It is a new experience for both though as some observations made by Billie bring new meaning to Maria’s experiences.
Maria and Billie take an overnight train ride to visit Katya, now 15 years old. When Katya was 11 years old she travelled to Australia on an exchange program, staying with a family Maria knew. It was hard for Katya to settle in and as Maria spoke Russian she decided to talk with Katya, find out what she was feeling and in the end Katya moved in with Maria and Billie who at the time lived with Maria’s parents. A great friendship developed and when Maria and Billie travelled to Russia it was only natural they would want to visit with Katya. After the visit Billie writes in her diary:
“Dear Diary,
When we had to board the train I tried to make a joke and we all laughed, but when the train started with a jerk, it jerked our hearts and that was it – the train moved. My heart tore in half.”
Throughout Otherland there are excerpts from Billie’s diary and you can tell that if she wanted to she could become a wonderful writer, just like her mother. Sometimes it’s hard to believe a 12-year-old wrote some of the passages, they are just so raw and touching. Maria has her own expectations on how this trip will affect Billie, how Billie will react to certain experiences and to have snippets of Billie’s diary throughout really adds another dimension to the story.
Maria and Billie travel to St Petersburg, Maria’s favourite place, and catch up with Marina, an old childhood friend. On Billie’s birthday they go to see Carmen at the Mariinski Theatre, this being a present from Marina and her family. During the visit with Marina the topic of people being left behind in Russia, not being able to leave and go to other countries, not having a choice and having to stay and suffer through poverty is brought to the fore, awakening feelings that have not had a voice for a long time.
Another outing they make is to see Leningradka, a puppet show about the blockade of St Petersburg (Leningrad at the time) and it is during this Billie learns much and also is deeply affected. Maria sees how affected Billie is by the history and they embrace in a hug:
“This is the best, the tightest, the most gut-wrenching hug of our trip.”
Maria and Billie travel to Ukraine from Russia by train where they are ordered off the train because they don’t have the relevant transit visas. They go about getting their visas and after much running around eventually obtain them. The train they are due to board next doesn’t leave until the middle of the night and so they set about getting some dinner not far from the Gomel train station and afterwards hire a rest room for a few hours to get some sleep. It is very cold, there is no heating and Maria and Billie have to sleep in everything they’ve got. I believe this experience is quite character building and relationship strengthening, as is the whole journey really. The way this scene is described is quite entertaining, giving you a sense of the bond these two must have to be able to laugh in such a situation.
Ira is Maria’s mother’s friend and much family history is learnt through her, it’s not all doom and gloom, quite a lot of laughs about what the younger girls used to get up to. There is a visit to a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev Maria and Billie make with Ira, chapter entitled Babi Yar, and this is by far the most emotional chapter of all for me. I had to take breaks reading it. I was astounded at what I learnt of how the Jews were treated in World War II and this site was “first and foremost the site of the largest single massacre during the Holocaust”. Around 33,000 men, women and children were murdered over two days in September 1941. These people were asked to assemble, bring their families and belongings and they believed they were hopefully getting help to leave the area. No. That didn’t happen. These men, women and children were shot and as an observer described it was like the shooters were taking practice, the shots were so steady and rhythmical. Oh, to think of it now brings a tear to my eye. I would like to read more books about the Holocaust but I imagine I will have to read them slowly, taking time out often because I find it just too emotional. But, these people lived and died through it so the least I can do is learn more about their horrific murders and give voice to a time in history that should never be put under the rug and forgotten about.
As a side bit, another interesting fact, Soviet passports listed people’s ethnicity on them, if you were a Jew you were in for a hard time in certain parts and I cannot believe they only abandoned this in the 1990s!
Now, back to Babi Yar. This is where Maria’s expectations on Billie’s experiences shows its head and it also illustrates how different people have different reactions, doesn’t mean one is right and one is wrong, just means we all have our own interpretations and feelings.
A conversation takes place beginning with Billie saying, “It is so beautiful here.” Maria cannot believe she has heard her daughter correctly, she responds, “How can you say this? What’s wrong with you? This is a terrible, ugly place. How on earth can you call it beautiful?” To which Billie replies, “Saying that it is beautiful is a good thing, Mum. What would you like to see here instead? Death?” Emotions are let loose and Maria, in the hope that Ira will feel the same as she does, tells Ira what Billie has said and Ira says, “Billie is right, it is beautiful here. What is it you want?” Maria tries to gather her thoughts and explains how she felt:
“I wanted Babi Yar to be frozen in the moment of catastrophe…but why? What was the alternative? In the face of loss, the idea of life going on may seem like an ultimate insult or a self-serving fiction, but this is all we have in the end…Billie was right. Babi Yar is beautiful ‘and’ all those other things.”
Wow. Just such a brilliant chapter where my emotions were well and truly awakened.
Whilst reading this chapter I made a status update on Goodreads I would like to include here:
“Very emotional. I feel lucky to have been born in my country. What I am reading has affected me deeply, it is heavy and horrible, but at the same time eye-opening, giving voice to those who suffered and inducing a sense of respect and appreciation.”
I think I could talk about this chapter all day but we shall move on.
Maria, Billie and Natasha, a friend of Maria’s, go back to where Maria used to live. As they point out which apartment was Maria’s family’s they see a woman in a bra standing on the balcony hanging out washing. The idea was to possibly see if they could actually go into the apartment but after seeing this woman they think perhaps that wouldn’t be the best idea. Whilst standing looking at the building Maria sees her old neighbour Rimma Evlampevna, a lady who lived in the apartment above hers. They get chatting, picking up where they left off as if seeing each other after all of this time is a normal occurance, and actually have a meal together but they also get a chance to visit Maria’s old apartment, although choose only to stay for 5 minutes. This is such a great experience to share with Billie, show her where her mother lived, and where the much talked about dvor is. A dvor is like a communal garden, a place Maria enjoyed as a younger child mixing with her friends and family, a place she looks upon fondly. However, Billie doesn’t quite see it the same way as her mother; she is especially shocked at the smell and wonders why her mother talks of this dvor with such affection and happiness. Maria explains:
“I had no idea how Billie would see it – that, first and foremost, she would be taken aback by the smell.”
There is still much to discuss about Otherland and the brilliant job Maria has done in producing such a phenomenal read but one must end somewhere. I do not by any means feel like this review has done justice to the book, I have barely touched on many things and what I have expressed emotion-wise is only the tip of the iceberg. I do encourage you all to read this book and feel your own emotions, take this journey with Maria and Billie in your own way and be left to your own thoughts.
And with that I will finish off with a very significant sentence Maria writes towards the end:
“I recognise now that the real reason we went away together on our trip was so that we could come back and start learning how to live apart.”
Otherland is, first and foremost, a journey mother and daughter take together. Thank you, Maria and Billie, for allowing outsiders to share the journey with you.
I finished this book a while ago and have finally come to the point of writing the review. Let me say there is much to discuss so this review will be quite lengthy. I hope you have a cup of tea or coffee at the ready and that you will sit back, read and enjoy.
Otherland is many things, a memoir, a travelogue, a history lesson and a personal journey. Most of all it is about relationships between mothers and daughters and how time and circumstances affect friendships, making them stronger and in some cases making them weaker. Maria currently lives in Melbourne after leaving her home in Kharkar as a 15-year-old with her Jewish family in 1989. Otherland is the six-week journey Maria and her daughter Billie, an Australian born 12-year-old, take to Maria’s homeland. Maria wants to revisit her old life and show Billie where her mother lived, take her to sites of historical importance, as well as personal importance, and introduce her to family and friends from a day gone by. Along the way there are trials, much emotion and some confronting situations. Maria’s childhood friend Sasha, for example, doesn’t want to meet up. Perhaps she is scared of what they have both become, Maria having left the country on the day of Sasha’s sixteenth birthday and Sasha staying through the hardship. Turning sixteen is big enough in itself but to have your best friend up and leave on this day must have been quite emotional. At times I felt maybe a sense of guilt from Maria at having been the one who left and was leading a better life in better circumstances.
Billie takes a little time to adapt to this foreign country. After being at the Moscow Metro she wants to go home, feeling out of place, not being able to speak Russian. As you can imagine this would be quite an ordeal for a young girl but having come this far Maria and Billie continue on, building their bond stronger along the way. Maria tries to see things through Billie’s eyes, after all Billie is seeing things for the first time and Maria has been here before. It is a new experience for both though as some observations made by Billie bring new meaning to Maria’s experiences.
Maria and Billie take an overnight train ride to visit Katya, now 15 years old. When Katya was 11 years old she travelled to Australia on an exchange program, staying with a family Maria knew. It was hard for Katya to settle in and as Maria spoke Russian she decided to talk with Katya, find out what she was feeling and in the end Katya moved in with Maria and Billie who at the time lived with Maria’s parents. A great friendship developed and when Maria and Billie travelled to Russia it was only natural they would want to visit with Katya. After the visit Billie writes in her diary:
“Dear Diary,
When we had to board the train I tried to make a joke and we all laughed, but when the train started with a jerk, it jerked our hearts and that was it – the train moved. My heart tore in half.”
Throughout Otherland there are excerpts from Billie’s diary and you can tell that if she wanted to she could become a wonderful writer, just like her mother. Sometimes it’s hard to believe a 12-year-old wrote some of the passages, they are just so raw and touching. Maria has her own expectations on how this trip will affect Billie, how Billie will react to certain experiences and to have snippets of Billie’s diary throughout really adds another dimension to the story.
Maria and Billie travel to St Petersburg, Maria’s favourite place, and catch up with Marina, an old childhood friend. On Billie’s birthday they go to see Carmen at the Mariinski Theatre, this being a present from Marina and her family. During the visit with Marina the topic of people being left behind in Russia, not being able to leave and go to other countries, not having a choice and having to stay and suffer through poverty is brought to the fore, awakening feelings that have not had a voice for a long time.
Another outing they make is to see Leningradka, a puppet show about the blockade of St Petersburg (Leningrad at the time) and it is during this Billie learns much and also is deeply affected. Maria sees how affected Billie is by the history and they embrace in a hug:
“This is the best, the tightest, the most gut-wrenching hug of our trip.”
Maria and Billie travel to Ukraine from Russia by train where they are ordered off the train because they don’t have the relevant transit visas. They go about getting their visas and after much running around eventually obtain them. The train they are due to board next doesn’t leave until the middle of the night and so they set about getting some dinner not far from the Gomel train station and afterwards hire a rest room for a few hours to get some sleep. It is very cold, there is no heating and Maria and Billie have to sleep in everything they’ve got. I believe this experience is quite character building and relationship strengthening, as is the whole journey really. The way this scene is described is quite entertaining, giving you a sense of the bond these two must have to be able to laugh in such a situation.
Ira is Maria’s mother’s friend and much family history is learnt through her, it’s not all doom and gloom, quite a lot of laughs about what the younger girls used to get up to. There is a visit to a ravine on the outskirts of Kiev Maria and Billie make with Ira, chapter entitled Babi Yar, and this is by far the most emotional chapter of all for me. I had to take breaks reading it. I was astounded at what I learnt of how the Jews were treated in World War II and this site was “first and foremost the site of the largest single massacre during the Holocaust”. Around 33,000 men, women and children were murdered over two days in September 1941. These people were asked to assemble, bring their families and belongings and they believed they were hopefully getting help to leave the area. No. That didn’t happen. These men, women and children were shot and as an observer described it was like the shooters were taking practice, the shots were so steady and rhythmical. Oh, to think of it now brings a tear to my eye. I would like to read more books about the Holocaust but I imagine I will have to read them slowly, taking time out often because I find it just too emotional. But, these people lived and died through it so the least I can do is learn more about their horrific murders and give voice to a time in history that should never be put under the rug and forgotten about.
As a side bit, another interesting fact, Soviet passports listed people’s ethnicity on them, if you were a Jew you were in for a hard time in certain parts and I cannot believe they only abandoned this in the 1990s!
Now, back to Babi Yar. This is where Maria’s expectations on Billie’s experiences shows its head and it also illustrates how different people have different reactions, doesn’t mean one is right and one is wrong, just means we all have our own interpretations and feelings.
A conversation takes place beginning with Billie saying, “It is so beautiful here.” Maria cannot believe she has heard her daughter correctly, she responds, “How can you say this? What’s wrong with you? This is a terrible, ugly place. How on earth can you call it beautiful?” To which Billie replies, “Saying that it is beautiful is a good thing, Mum. What would you like to see here instead? Death?” Emotions are let loose and Maria, in the hope that Ira will feel the same as she does, tells Ira what Billie has said and Ira says, “Billie is right, it is beautiful here. What is it you want?” Maria tries to gather her thoughts and explains how she felt:
“I wanted Babi Yar to be frozen in the moment of catastrophe…but why? What was the alternative? In the face of loss, the idea of life going on may seem like an ultimate insult or a self-serving fiction, but this is all we have in the end…Billie was right. Babi Yar is beautiful ‘and’ all those other things.”
Wow. Just such a brilliant chapter where my emotions were well and truly awakened.
Whilst reading this chapter I made a status update on Goodreads I would like to include here:
“Very emotional. I feel lucky to have been born in my country. What I am reading has affected me deeply, it is heavy and horrible, but at the same time eye-opening, giving voice to those who suffered and inducing a sense of respect and appreciation.”
I think I could talk about this chapter all day but we shall move on.
Maria, Billie and Natasha, a friend of Maria’s, go back to where Maria used to live. As they point out which apartment was Maria’s family’s they see a woman in a bra standing on the balcony hanging out washing. The idea was to possibly see if they could actually go into the apartment but after seeing this woman they think perhaps that wouldn’t be the best idea. Whilst standing looking at the building Maria sees her old neighbour Rimma Evlampevna, a lady who lived in the apartment above hers. They get chatting, picking up where they left off as if seeing each other after all of this time is a normal occurance, and actually have a meal together but they also get a chance to visit Maria’s old apartment, although choose only to stay for 5 minutes. This is such a great experience to share with Billie, show her where her mother lived, and where the much talked about dvor is. A dvor is like a communal garden, a place Maria enjoyed as a younger child mixing with her friends and family, a place she looks upon fondly. However, Billie doesn’t quite see it the same way as her mother; she is especially shocked at the smell and wonders why her mother talks of this dvor with such affection and happiness. Maria explains:
“I had no idea how Billie would see it – that, first and foremost, she would be taken aback by the smell.”
There is still much to discuss about Otherland and the brilliant job Maria has done in producing such a phenomenal read but one must end somewhere. I do not by any means feel like this review has done justice to the book, I have barely touched on many things and what I have expressed emotion-wise is only the tip of the iceberg. I do encourage you all to read this book and feel your own emotions, take this journey with Maria and Billie in your own way and be left to your own thoughts.
And with that I will finish off with a very significant sentence Maria writes towards the end:
“I recognise now that the real reason we went away together on our trip was so that we could come back and start learning how to live apart.”
Otherland is, first and foremost, a journey mother and daughter take together. Thank you, Maria and Billie, for allowing outsiders to share the journey with you.
February 9, 2018
Allow me to contribute, if I may.
Firstly, I found quite a few historical facts incorrect. A lot of others were exaggerated. A couple of "famous" philosophers or writers she is referring to are barely known.
The book is infected with overall negativity in how the country is portrayed, which she is trying to offset with "perception". It is like making a malicious legal report while being protected by a clause called "in good faith".
For example, Moscow Metro is not so bad outside of the peak hour. I do not understand the need to take Billy there at the most savage time of the day. I do not understand the need to sensationalise being stopped on the border with no visa. That particular incident was caused by the author's lack of preparation for the trip and is no one's fault but her own.
I too am a Russian immigrant since early 00's who last went to visit in 2011, almost a decade later. My experiences were vastly different to the author's. My family and most people I know survived the 80's and the 90's. Just like Australian people survived economic depression and crisis times. Just like the rest of the World survives tough times. It is almost like she was on a mission to highlight unflattering details, while leaving anything else out of the spotlight.
What makes a good analysis is scope and balance. We all have different agendas when delivering a message - hers to me was rather obvious.
In order to support my point, consider the following scenario: I could take any tourist to Australian "glubinka", to the most vulnerable communities, show them people with limited opportunities, or talk about the invasion day at length; struggles of the aboriginals up to this day and the rest of Australia's dark history. I could take a tourist to the most remote communities where people consume alcohol and drugs daily. I could explain the current politics and international affairs, privatisation to the Chinese, PMs changing faster than in any other country in the World. I could highlight the mining issue, sale of land to the foreigners,Environmental issues. To further secure my agenda, I would take them to housing commission buildings in Redfern, casually hinting this is how most citizens live.
I shall not continue as I trust my point is clear by now. I am not a writer and apologise for my rusty delivery. My message is that quite a few historical facts were changed; the biased approach to describe the whole country is evident to those who know. But I am grateful to both countries: Russia for raising me and infusing my whole being with culture. And Australia for becoming my home, giving me amazing opportunities. I have no agenda and no hate. No reason to demonise any government; no reason to be bitter.
One thing made me smile however: utterly grandiose self-importance of the author. Her sense of superiority is that of a narcissist. She took Billy on this journey to receive endless gratitude for raising her in Australia, to take over her parents' achievement as her own. To excuse her bitterness, for Billy to think this is normal. There is a reason Billy does not speak Russian. And that reason is different to author's explanation.
Regards,
SS
Firstly, I found quite a few historical facts incorrect. A lot of others were exaggerated. A couple of "famous" philosophers or writers she is referring to are barely known.
The book is infected with overall negativity in how the country is portrayed, which she is trying to offset with "perception". It is like making a malicious legal report while being protected by a clause called "in good faith".
For example, Moscow Metro is not so bad outside of the peak hour. I do not understand the need to take Billy there at the most savage time of the day. I do not understand the need to sensationalise being stopped on the border with no visa. That particular incident was caused by the author's lack of preparation for the trip and is no one's fault but her own.
I too am a Russian immigrant since early 00's who last went to visit in 2011, almost a decade later. My experiences were vastly different to the author's. My family and most people I know survived the 80's and the 90's. Just like Australian people survived economic depression and crisis times. Just like the rest of the World survives tough times. It is almost like she was on a mission to highlight unflattering details, while leaving anything else out of the spotlight.
What makes a good analysis is scope and balance. We all have different agendas when delivering a message - hers to me was rather obvious.
In order to support my point, consider the following scenario: I could take any tourist to Australian "glubinka", to the most vulnerable communities, show them people with limited opportunities, or talk about the invasion day at length; struggles of the aboriginals up to this day and the rest of Australia's dark history. I could take a tourist to the most remote communities where people consume alcohol and drugs daily. I could explain the current politics and international affairs, privatisation to the Chinese, PMs changing faster than in any other country in the World. I could highlight the mining issue, sale of land to the foreigners,Environmental issues. To further secure my agenda, I would take them to housing commission buildings in Redfern, casually hinting this is how most citizens live.
I shall not continue as I trust my point is clear by now. I am not a writer and apologise for my rusty delivery. My message is that quite a few historical facts were changed; the biased approach to describe the whole country is evident to those who know. But I am grateful to both countries: Russia for raising me and infusing my whole being with culture. And Australia for becoming my home, giving me amazing opportunities. I have no agenda and no hate. No reason to demonise any government; no reason to be bitter.
One thing made me smile however: utterly grandiose self-importance of the author. Her sense of superiority is that of a narcissist. She took Billy on this journey to receive endless gratitude for raising her in Australia, to take over her parents' achievement as her own. To excuse her bitterness, for Billy to think this is normal. There is a reason Billy does not speak Russian. And that reason is different to author's explanation.
Regards,
SS
May 7, 2019
This was really not my thing, which was surprising given the strength of my engagement with the compelling Axiomatic. In some ways, the experience shed as much light on me as a reader, than on a writer. I had the same issues here as I had had with this year's Stella winner, The Erratics, in that there is an introspective memoir style, which when written this well (and Tumarkin and Laveau-Harris are both brilliant at putting words together) is very persuasive, that makes me uneasy when applied to others in their lives. Here, the subject of much of Tumarkin's scrutiny is her daughter, whose voice I wanted to hear much more of, as I did of the friends and family they encountered in their travels. In full disclosure, I would no doubt have struggled less had I agreed with Tumarkin on all of her historical analysis here. There is a surrendering to her voice which is necessary for this kind of writing, and I'm not sure I am, at this time in my life, that kind of reader.
March 19, 2022
Tumarkin’s memoir of her journey back to Russia and Ukraine with her Australian-born teenaged daughter gave me much more than I had expected. With the astuteness of an historian, a political scientist, a sociologist, a biographer, a philosopher and, significantly, a parent, Tumarkin presents a compelling and comprehensive account of the “seismic shift[s]” undergone since her migration to Australia in 1989 at 15 years of age. Her goal in taking Billie back to Maria’s roots was to create a bridge between the three generations, the three worlds that they inhabited: that of Maria, of her own mother, and of Billie. It was a difficult journey for them both with its physical and emotional strains. Tumarkin’s writing is so precise and so visceral that I felt that I had accompanied them on their experience, sharing their excitement, their disappointment, and their frustration.
Moving through Russia and, ultimately, through Ukraine, Tumarkin portrays the historical faces of Russia with comprehensive details regarding its history – a political, geographical, and cultural account in which the portrait was a very human one. She analysed the impact of each leader’s rule on the people, particularly focusing on the psychological responses that emerged over time. I found her profile of Russian women of her era and their somewhat exaggerated make-up and dress (high heels at all times) especially intriguing.
The mother-daughter relationship was certainly a significant part of this journey and of the author’s focus. However, I found the exploration of Tumarkin’s own perceptions of the family and friends she had left in 1989 the most compelling. Her discussion of friendship itself, of her sense of her abandonment of her close friends, who could not leave Ukraine as she had, were some of the most emotional moments of her trip back. “Could there be any doubt that I had left too early, when all the events that would make up the bulk of my generation’s shared experience and identity were yet to take place?” Undoubtedly, the author had not expected this realisation or the understanding that the past that she was searching to share with her daughter "no longer existed".
Moving through Russia and, ultimately, through Ukraine, Tumarkin portrays the historical faces of Russia with comprehensive details regarding its history – a political, geographical, and cultural account in which the portrait was a very human one. She analysed the impact of each leader’s rule on the people, particularly focusing on the psychological responses that emerged over time. I found her profile of Russian women of her era and their somewhat exaggerated make-up and dress (high heels at all times) especially intriguing.
The mother-daughter relationship was certainly a significant part of this journey and of the author’s focus. However, I found the exploration of Tumarkin’s own perceptions of the family and friends she had left in 1989 the most compelling. Her discussion of friendship itself, of her sense of her abandonment of her close friends, who could not leave Ukraine as she had, were some of the most emotional moments of her trip back. “Could there be any doubt that I had left too early, when all the events that would make up the bulk of my generation’s shared experience and identity were yet to take place?” Undoubtedly, the author had not expected this realisation or the understanding that the past that she was searching to share with her daughter "no longer existed".
Read
July 21, 2019Thanks to Blair Mahoney for recommending this book to me. l read it very slowly, thinking about declarative and non-declarative memory systems which the author mentions, as I found matches and mismatches from my own experience as a second-generation Australian (with parents from Russia and Germany). It's difficult to create a clear story for yourself of your history when some things are just 'known' (whether true or not true) and much which remains confusing.
I enjoyed Maria's book immensely and am now following links to authors she mentions to better understand the enigma of Russians and Russian history.
I enjoyed Maria's book immensely and am now following links to authors she mentions to better understand the enigma of Russians and Russian history.
February 2, 2019
Reminded me of another historical travel memoir Ghost Empire.
Parent and child returning to a homeland with differing experiences.
Can relate the frustrations when travelling with a teenage child(!)
Lots of historical context - too much.
I lost the thread.
I preferred the postmodern approach of Stasiland by Anna Funder.
Parent and child returning to a homeland with differing experiences.
Can relate the frustrations when travelling with a teenage child(!)
Lots of historical context - too much.
I lost the thread.
I preferred the postmodern approach of Stasiland by Anna Funder.
September 28, 2018
I enjoyed this book because:-
1. It filled in quite large gaps in my knowledge e.g. I knew nothing of Babi Yar! I enjoy reading about societal changes and how to make sense of seismic shifts in culture/politics etc within one generation, so for the writer to explain what it was like to return to the Ukraine as an adult, after the collapse of the USSR was fascinating.
2. To travel with your 12 yr old daughter and to try to make sense of the experience together, added another almost seperate story which I enjoyed very much.
3. The writer has a very direct, irreverent, black-humoured way of describing a situation or experience (to me this is an Australian trait). This mindset flavoured the telling of the story in a way that was very enjoyable and made the story highly accessible...almost raw.
4. I enjoyed very much hearing the turn of phrase of someone writing in English, from a non-English speaking background...in this case Ukrainian. Russian/Ukrainian writers seem to revere poetry and literature, so this cultural trait seeps into the English, making the writing intense, rich and almost flamboyant. In this particular authors case, you can add an idiosyncratic element also, because she and her daughter Billie call a spade a spade, and have a twisted black humour that I love.
In all, this is a 'travel book' (not really) like no other. AND the extensive NOTES at the end give me lots of ideas for further reading. A totally edifying read!
1. It filled in quite large gaps in my knowledge e.g. I knew nothing of Babi Yar! I enjoy reading about societal changes and how to make sense of seismic shifts in culture/politics etc within one generation, so for the writer to explain what it was like to return to the Ukraine as an adult, after the collapse of the USSR was fascinating.
2. To travel with your 12 yr old daughter and to try to make sense of the experience together, added another almost seperate story which I enjoyed very much.
3. The writer has a very direct, irreverent, black-humoured way of describing a situation or experience (to me this is an Australian trait). This mindset flavoured the telling of the story in a way that was very enjoyable and made the story highly accessible...almost raw.
4. I enjoyed very much hearing the turn of phrase of someone writing in English, from a non-English speaking background...in this case Ukrainian. Russian/Ukrainian writers seem to revere poetry and literature, so this cultural trait seeps into the English, making the writing intense, rich and almost flamboyant. In this particular authors case, you can add an idiosyncratic element also, because she and her daughter Billie call a spade a spade, and have a twisted black humour that I love.
In all, this is a 'travel book' (not really) like no other. AND the extensive NOTES at the end give me lots of ideas for further reading. A totally edifying read!
February 18, 2018
In 2009 Maria Tumarkan, a Melbourne academic, returns to Russia and The Ukraine from which she emigrated in 1989, just before the fall of Communism and the volcanic changes that hit the U.S.S.R. and its satellites. She has twelve-year-old Australian daughter, Billie, in tow, so this is a book about many things: cultural shock, immigrant angst, mother-daughter tensions, Judaism, feminism, great dollops of twentieth century European history… Tumarkin takes a very wide brief, perhaps too wide, to give herself space to discuss, or get off her chest, everything she feels she needs to. So while the book lacks focus―it’s difficult to say what it is actually about without describing the whole thing―you do get an awful lot to chew over. And Tumarkin is a great communicator and also, I must say, a woman with a big heart. This book is absolutely bursting with ideas and energy, rants and raves, outsized passions, intellectual and otherwise. What saves it from self-indulgence is the acuity of the observations and her broad learning (we get plenty of other opinions than her own). What I found most compelling was the sharp and complex parsing of the immigrant experience. Australia is, after all, an immigrant country, and books like these remind us how stories like this are an important part of our cultural identity.
December 26, 2010
A Russian-Jewish immigrant, Tumarkin and her family move to Australia in 1989. Twenty years later, Tumarkin returns to share the country of her childhood with her daughter Billie.
On the surface Otherland is the chronicle of this six week journey. At the core of it however lies a tale of interconnecting mother-daughter stories welded together through shared histories and experiences. Visiting the places and people of her youth, Tumarkin hopes to bring a closer understanding of her roots to her daughter.
During her travels, Tumarkin’s makes perceptive and honest observations about the new Russia, which in her absence has morphed into a country that is foreign and unfamiliar to her. Extracts from Billie’s diary peppered throughout the book add fresh, sharp insights that are surprisingly clear and immediate for someone so young.
In Australia, our memoirs are often reflections of our multicultural identities. Otherland mirrors this unique characteristic with prose that is engrossing and unadulterated. No words are wasted. A touching tribute to migrants, it depicts the cost of leaving the lands that house our history, to countries where we etch new identities in the soil. 3.5 stars
On the surface Otherland is the chronicle of this six week journey. At the core of it however lies a tale of interconnecting mother-daughter stories welded together through shared histories and experiences. Visiting the places and people of her youth, Tumarkin hopes to bring a closer understanding of her roots to her daughter.
During her travels, Tumarkin’s makes perceptive and honest observations about the new Russia, which in her absence has morphed into a country that is foreign and unfamiliar to her. Extracts from Billie’s diary peppered throughout the book add fresh, sharp insights that are surprisingly clear and immediate for someone so young.
In Australia, our memoirs are often reflections of our multicultural identities. Otherland mirrors this unique characteristic with prose that is engrossing and unadulterated. No words are wasted. A touching tribute to migrants, it depicts the cost of leaving the lands that house our history, to countries where we etch new identities in the soil. 3.5 stars
March 4, 2014
Another interesting book by Maria Tumarkin, the Otherland is not a simple biography or memoir. It is a history of one family through history of a country. Every migrant story is different, but in many ways they are similar as well. Maria’s journey back to Russia and Ukraine with her young daughter is important chapter for both of them. The result is this book, the hones and deep analysis about how the past affects the present, how different cultures integrate and oppose and how the courage of being true to yourself is the biggest challenge of all.
December 28, 2016
I read this in a small village in Italy, with no access to the Internet, and then I finished it at the airport in Moscow, which makes sense, because the book explains why Russian women always take pains to look stunning at airports. Maria Tumarkin's Jewish family emigrated from Ukraine to Australia after the Second World War. This book chronicles the journey she takes back home, with her teenage daughter, Billy. Many moments of "aha! that's about me!" for this Eastern European migrant. Solid, poetic, insightful, and rings almost too close to home.
June 28, 2018
An interesting and informative book and learnt quite a bit about Russia, Ukraine and anti-Semitism. Was rather disappointed with the limited voice of her daughter and her relationship with her was scanty. I also was left with the impression of a political agenda that I am not sure I would agree with. She certainly portrays Russia in a negative light and Australia as the best.
May 16, 2019
A fascinating journey to the former Soviet Union by the author, who emigrated to Australia in 1989, with her 12-year-old daughter. Worth the read for the wealth of literary and philosophical/historical references as much as the journey itself.
May 9, 2013
I'm not a fan of biography and this rather self indulgent and naval gazing memoir just annoyed me. Far too hand wringing and 'bleed, bleed poor country' zzzzz
August 9, 2014
Such a wonderful read, a great combination of scholarly work and history, personal stories, family history, reflections and wonderful writing.
January 11, 2018
Some interesting parts but slow moving and could be quite boring for long stretches before getting to an interesting bit. The historical content was good though
June 27, 2022
Maria Tumarkin embarks on a journey to her Russian-Ukrainian homeland with her Australian-born daughter, Billie. What she’d hoped would be an emotional connection between herself and her lineage, her daughter and her heritage, and indeed between mother and daughter as an entity unto themselves, turns out to be emotionally complex and frustrating. Otherland is a rumination on political upheaval and its dismantling of culture, on the way we’re drawn to home in a manner that might not reflect truth, and on mothers and daughters, which reflects the most basic of truths, however complicated it may be. Tumarkin slides effortlessly between the cerebral and the felt, proving her to be one of our most intelligent and empathetic writers today.
November 28, 2022
A very engagingly written memoir. I enjoyed the way history was woven amongst their travels and personal history. The discussion of their mother daughter relationship felt raw and candid. Props to the author for raising such an emotionally intelligent 12 year old. A great read for anyone, but especially anyone who's family emigrated from Eastern Europe.
February 6, 2023
Something about this didn't quite hit for me. Very sentimental (pejorative) in a way that was both a driving force and its downfall
November 11, 2025
4/5 felt like Maria did well to convey her own growth that occurred through the journey without making it too heavy handed. A look at how time, culture, and geography influence a family’s story.
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