THE RUSSIAN DEBUTANTE'S HANDBOOK

In this raucous first novel, young Vladimir, a Russian-Jewish émigré, potchkies (putters) through life to the despair of his overachieving parents--"Little Failure" his CEO mother calls him. Mustering what ambition he can, he leaves his poor-paying New York gig at the behest of a Russian mobster to organize a pyramid scheme in Prava, an Eastern European metropolis filled with American expatriates. Of course, things go awry, thanks to Vladimir's ineptitude and his conflicts with numerous other zany characters. Indefatigable Rider Strong happens to be the same age as our hero and sounds like it, though he certainly has considerably more oomph. He gives Vladimir's misadventures a spirited narration, marred only by occasional mispronunciations and a few faulty edits. Y.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]