Buy a pair of Levi’s, lose the Russian accent, become an American… how hard could it be? Moscow, 1988. After years of antisemitic harassment, countless hours waiting in line for toilet paper, and having zero access to cool jeans, Margarita decides it’s time to get the hell out of the Soviet Union. While dreaming of buying the boat-sized Buick she’d seen in a pirated VHS of Miami Vice and getting a taste of whatever it is Bruce Springsteen is singing about, she comes up with a plan to escape Mother Russia for good. When Margarita arrives in the US with her family, she has one objective – become fully American as soon as possible, and leave her Soviet past behind. But she soon learns that finding her new voice is harder than avoiding the KGB. Because, how do you become someone else completely? Is it as simple as changing your name, upgrading your wardrobe and working on your pronunciation of the word ‘sheet’? Can you let go of old habits (never, ever throw anything away), or learn to date without hang-ups (‘there is no sex in the Soviet Union’ after all)? Will you ever stop disappointing your parents, who expect you to become a doctor, a lawyer, an investment banker and a classical pianist – all at the same time? And can you still become the person you dreamed you’d be, while learning to embrace parts of yourself you’ve wanted to discard for good when you immigrated? Absolutely hilarious, painfully honest and sometimes heart-breaking, the award-winning I Named My Dog Pushkin will have fans of David Sedaris and Samantha Irby howling with laughter at Margarita’s failures, her victories and the life lessons she learns as she grows as both a woman and an immigrant, in a world that often doesn’t appreciate either. What readers are saying about I Named My Dog Pushkin: ‘Hilariously funny, whip-smart and absolutely fascinating… Silver shows that the only person she needs to ever become is herself. Just amazing.’ Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You ‘Laugh-out-loud funny... a particular pleasure to see our splintered country through the eyes of this determined and appreciative emigree.’ NPR Books ‘An eye-opener… a whole other brand of Jewish humor… The book's wit, drama and erudition appear to me wholly miraculous. Margarita deserves a literary prize.’ Alicia Bay Laurel, New York Times bestselling author of Living on the Earth ‘Hysterically funny and thought-provoking… perfect for anyone fascinated with the USSR’ FangirlNation ‘I thoroughly enjoyed Margarita's witty and acerbic voice. This book was a delight!’ Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat ‘Hilarious… From one USSR immigrant to another... I related a lot.’ Margarita Levieva, HBO's The Deuce ‘Hilarious and thought-provoking.’ California Bookwatch ‘A memoir like this is so very rare, one in which you learn a great deal, while laughing throughout. Highly, highly recommended.’ Wandering Educators ‘Plunges the reader into a world in which Coca-Cola is synonymous with freedom… riveting… moving… Gokun Silver is a gifted, witty writer.’ Los Angeles Review of Books ‘Sure to delight while tugging at your heartstrings.’ Jewish Book Council ‘Had me laughing and smiling all the way through… a perfect balance of wit and seriousness… Superb.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Laughed my socks off!’ Goodreads reviewer ‘I loved this book so much… I just could not stop reading.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘A sharp, witty memoir… Margarita captured Jewish joy and grief together perfectly.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Darkly funny… reminiscent of other acerbic comedian authors like Sara Barron… fascinating.’ NetGalley reviewer

The leading role of the family decline become outlaw but a rebirth two generations fortunately to carry the plug-in fusion again through the myth open the plug-in every day originally the grade last but play abuse the campus become the college entrance examination champion enter the university list school flowers play with jade hands wine chaos inheritance i romantic stories for past life lover foot stamp business snap at wind and cloud to be a san francisco boss for a brother so the rebirth of a generation of legends was born

Suraj is a boy in love. He has lost his mother, has a father who is on-and-off concerned with his future, and an adoring grandfather. Circumstances force him to change schools and he fails to find the bonhomie he enjoyed in his last one. His affections are spurned by a girl in the new school-as boys will in the course of their young lives-but he takes the rejection to heart. A little older, Suraj falls in love again, and this time has reason to believe that his passion is returned. Then he his heartlessly turned away again. His humiliation, he believes, is complete. Urged by his never-say-die grandfather, he agrees to an arranged marriage. His bride is a sweet-natured thing, and caring of him and their daughter, and for a while, their lives are smooth and predictable. So predictable that when Suraj discovers what he thought was his blameless wife in a clandestine meeting with her lover, his world collapses in wild anger around him. Robbed of self-belief and pride, and aflame with a lust to reassert his power over women, he carefully hunts out the first of his persecutors and cruelly rapes her. Finding himself grappled by the forces of the law, he is condemned to be hanged to death-a fate he agrees befits the 'losers' of the world. Authors Gyandeep Kaushal and Nitin Kulkarni present a tale simply told, but which underscores the question that has plagued bio-genetics over the years: Is a rapist born, or shaped by events around him? Is there anything, in short, as a 'rape gene'? The jury is out on that one, and the writers circumspectly leave them where they are.