by Albina Hume, a Ukrainian native who discovered her purpose in life in through an almost unpredictable set of events, catapulted by her inability to pronounce the letter “R”.
We received the book for review by Albina and were instantly captured by the story she had to tell in this memoir. Here at CJLeger.com we enjoy reading memoirs because we believe discovering oneself and telling one’s story is one of the most important things an author can do in their lifetime; this author eloquently told her story and in the process won the Five Star Readers Favorite Award.
At First Glance
Average Read Time: 5 hours and 33 minutes
Pages: 304 (Kindle)
Amazon Rating: 4 ½ Stars w/ 35 reviews
Chapters: 33 + Epilogue & Prologue
Accolades: Five Star Readers Favorite Award
Our Rating:
Our Rating:
Review
Overall: Overall I feel that this is a good book. I gave it a four star rating, because the book has very interesting content in it about the author’s life; her method of writing is engrossing, however, I feel that this book has too much information crammed into one edition. This author has gone through so much in her life, that the storytelling could have gone more seamlessly had it been split into at least two publications, offering a bit more information in each one or made into a much longer book. Instead we have thirty three chapters of incredible life events, jumping from one stage of her life to the other with very little time to take it all in before we get to the next part. My negatives with this book strictly revolve around structure. The story itself is worth publication and one I will never forget. This memoir is an example of the many trials and tribulations a single soul may sometimes have to endure in order to get to the other side of defeat.
In-Depth: As many of our readers know, I am also a wine editor for a wine appreciation publication; what immediately caught my eye about this book is the introduction of a prized spirit within the first two pages, by offering Nadya a bottle of Cap Classique 1999 J.C. Le Roux. The author had my ear from there.
In chapter one, the author highlights one of the hardest social patterns to break; she talks about fairy tales she was told as a child about meeting a handsome stranger or prince, falling in love and getting married. In these tales there is always a happy ending, but for Albina, the story did not go quite as the status quo we have it.
Within the first page of the first chapter, the author gives us some context about what leads her down a path she didn't see coming. Born in a small village in the Ukraine still called Volchinovka by the locals, her pattern of receding into herself and falling to intimidation because of her inability to pronounce the letter began immediately whenever she was asked where she was from. The town was renamed Novogrigorivka in 1886, leaving her unable to properly pronounce her birthplace. This followed her throughout life; one of her earliest memorable moments about the “curse” was in the first grade when she tried to say hello to her crush, but was ridiculed for the way she said “Privet” (Hello). Her inability to pronounce the letter “R” labeled her a “crow”, someone who could not speak properly, and thus, someone who would never find a mate because of it. It changed her life, turning a once joyful girl who loved to sing into a quiet one, afraid to sing a tune or speak a word in front of anyone.
Her luck seems to change in third grade, when her mother decided to put her and her siblings in boarding school in an attempt to stop the ridicule Albina endured in school. She soon found new friends there and realized she was not the only one with a speech impediment.
Although the author never once thought to marry a man from South Africa in her younger years, one of her first fascinations with the continent started when she was very little. She would often sing a song describing Africa that directed the listener to run just fast enough to reach the land of innumerous animals and wild, open spaces. She often played in the garden pretending to have been transported to Africa. When it comes to memoirs, moments like this are important because they highlight a sense of mysteriousness that represents the universe’s inner workings where sometimes a future may be laid out for you before you even know you have an interest in it. The author’s decision to include this in her book made me, as the reader, feel more involved in where she was going as a person.
At around chapter 6 the author begins to open up the petals of her life, describing how she began to migrate toward a more international style of living. Working for “Healthy Life” as a supervisor, she upgraded her living status and soon began attending seminars and applying for her international passport. However a small misunderstanding would soon face her with more challenges, leading her to work at a gentlemen's club in Ukraine in order to pay back debts related to her newfound success.
Eventually, the author starts talking about her time working in a gentleman’s club in Greece where she falls for a man who only sees himself as a client, geared by the elusive Michael, she starts to question what she really wants at this point, and comes up with “a boyfriend”, leading the reader to perceive Michael as a prospective mate for her. With his soft spoken and understanding demeanor, the reader can't help but to want to lay there insecurities in his lap. But that seems to be the case for a few of the men in this story, until she finally meets the right one towards the end of the book.
My overall perception of the topic of the book is regarding a woman who from childhood is faced with in numerous challenges that hinder her ability to fall in love and achieve success, until both aspiration mean towards the end of the book.
Dislikes: The initial description of the book is not very telling of what the reader will find once they open the pages. It's understandable that an author may not reveal enormous pieces of the book so that the reader can still be surprised, but the actual cover description is very vague as to what the book is actually about.
The book itself also takes a while to develop. It plays out in chunks With completely different topics as it progresses; you could compare it to someone walking in during the middle of a movie; some movies can still be understood without the first half, while others will leave viewers completely lost if they haven't even seen the first 10 minutes. This book is like the latter, but in its defense, it is a memoir and not a fictional book. In real-life people's lives don't play out like a script, they can be unpredictable and unravel in mysterious ways.
I believe this book would benefit greatly if the cover description was rewritten to encompass more of the events that lead up to the current life of the author. This would give prospective readers a more informed synopsis, perhaps prompting them to make a purchase.
About Miss Fortune
"Who would think that my inability to pronounce the letter R would turn my life upside down and lead me from Ukraine to South Africa?"
Albina Hume is often asked the same question - how did she meet her South African husband John, a property developer and a rhino breeder, who is 36 years her senior? She has always kept her response simple. Until now …
Her childhood fear that no one in Ukraine would want to marry a 'crow' at first resulted in various misfortunes, from failing dreams and relationships to even ending up in a police cell for 51 days, until she finally learned to focus on her dreams, not her fears.
About the Author
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