Mark Berman and his parents, Roman and Bella, are Russian Jews who left the Soviet Union in 1980 and came to Canada.

As my mother, aunt, cousin, and I wept, my father and uncle kept an eye out for Israeli agents. These agents were known to inspect compartments. Any indication that we had close relatives on the buses would bring questions: Why were we separating the family? Why were we rejecting our Israeli visas? Why were we so ungrateful to the State of Israel, which had, after all, provided us with the means to escape the Soviet Union?

The answer to these questions, for my father and uncle, was 150 million angry Arabs.

...from page 67, "An Animal to the Memory"

The stories follow Mark and his family as they try to adjust to life in a new country. They struggle with the language and with rules (both governmental and societal) that they don't always understand. They want a better life but it's not easy.

In "Tapka", Mark and his cousin are given the responsibility of exercising a neighbour's prized dog. But language and financial difficulties lead to near-tragedy.

In "Roman Berman, Massage Therapist", Mark's father attempts to resume his former career.

In "The Second Strongest Man", Mark is reacquainted with a childhood idol.

In "An Animal to the Memory", an angry Mark butts heads with a determined rabbi.

In "Natasha", a teenaged Mark meets the daughter of his uncle's new wife and learns some painful lessons.

In "Choynski", while his grandmother is dying, Mark researches a Jewish boxer with the help of an aging sportswriter.

In "Minyan", Mark's grandfather struggles to find subsidized housing and meets an old Jewish couple who aren't entirely welcome in their building.

Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, Natasha and Other Stories is a very well-written book. The characters are engaging, the text is straightforward, and the stories are interesting. It would have been nice to have had more stories but maybe he's saving them for next time. Worth reading.

Reviewed by Lynn Bornath.

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