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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | 921 LAPPIN | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Taking its title from a question often asked of polyglots, What Language Do I Dream In? is Elena Lappin's stunning memoir about how language runs throughout memory and family history to form identity. Lappin's life could be described as "five languages in search of an author", and as a multiple émigré, her decision to write in English was the result of many wanderings. Russian, Czech, German, Hebrew, and finally, English: each language is a link to a different piece of Lappin's rich family mosaic and the struggle to find a voice in a language not one's own.
From Europe to North America--and back again, via some of the twentieth century's most significant political upheavals--Lappin reconstructs the stories and secrets of her parents and grandparents with the tenderness of a novelist and the eye of a documentary filmmaker. The story of Lappin's identity is unexpectedly complicated by the discovery, in middle age, that her biological father was an American living in Russia. This revelation makes her question the very bedrock of her knowledge of her birth, and adds a surprising twist: suddenly, English may be more than the accidental "home in exile"--it is a language she may have been close to from the very beginning.
"English is not my mother tongue," writes Elena Lappin, "it is something more valuable: a language I was lucky enough to be able to choose." What Language Do I Dream In? is a wonderful, honest story about love, family, memory, and how they intertwine to form who we are.
Author Notes
Elena Lappin is a writer and editor. Born in Moscow, she grew up in Prague and Hamburg, and has lived in Israel, Canada, the United States and -- longer than anywhere else -- in London. She is the author of Foreign Brides and The Nose , and has contributed to numerous publications, including Granta , Prospect , the Guardian , and The New York Times Book Review .
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Early in this memoir, fiction and short story writer Lappin (Foreign Brides, 1999) receives a shocking call telling her that the man she believes to be her father is not actually her biological father. This may lead readers to believe that this is the story Lappin will tell, but rather it's a bookend for a more traditional memoir of a fairly nontraditional life. Lappin began life in Russia before her family, due to political events, moved to Prague and then Hamburg, thus adding Czech and German to Lappin's first language, Russian. Because of her studies in linguistics and her marriage, she moves to Israel, Canada, and ultimately London, adding Hebrew and English to her repertoire. German is the language in which she becomes hyperaware of her Jewish heritage, and even though English is the last language she learned, she chooses it for her memoir. Each language alters Lappin's life and changes the person she is. This lovely book is perfect for those interested in language and how it shapes identity.--Sexton, Kathy Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
An émigré and polyglot, Lappin is fluent in five languages-Russian, Czech, German, Hebrew, and English-reflecting a life lived in Moscow, Prague, and Hamburg, as well as in Israel, Canada, the United States, and England. In preparing to write this memoir and answer its eponymous question, the author (Foreign Brides; The Nose) and editor discovers a biological father and large extended family about which she knew nothing. Touching on the interpersonal dynamics that kept this secret concealed for several decades and as she learns more about her own history, she wonders how her life, and language acquisition, might have been different if she had known about her hidden roots. Self-described as a "reluctant memoirist," Lappin incorporates a style that is more journalistic and descriptive than revelatory or deeply personal. Verdict Recommended for readers already familiar with Lappin's novels and essays, who may enjoy the perspective offered.-Linda Frederiksen, Washington State Univ. Vancouver Lib. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
