Local Boy Makes Good

So, as skeptical and deeply bitter I am whenever a new Russo-American author is spit out of the literary hype-machine, I must say, The Russian Debutante's Handbook delivers. Taut, funny, and confidently vivid, it achieves the highly sought-after blurb status of being "eminently readable." Is it the great Russian-American novel? No, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Of course, I am biased.