My Cat Yugoslavia

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title My Cat Yugoslavia
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Pajtim Statovci
Translated by David Hackston
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 129
Category/GenreModern and contemporary fiction (post c 1945)
ISBN/Barcode 9781782273608
ClassificationsDewey:894/.54134
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Pushkin Press
Imprint Pushkin Press
Publication Date 19 April 2018
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Yugoslavia, 1980s: a 16-year-old Muslim girl named Emine is married off to a man she hardly knows. But what was meant to be a happy match soon goes terribly wrong. Her country is torn apart by war and she flees with her family. Decades later Emine's son, Bekim, has grown up a social outcast in Finland; both an immigrant in a country suspicious of foreigners, and a gay man in an unaccepting society. Aside from casual hookups, his only friend is a boa constrictor whom he lets roam his apartment - even though he is terrified of snakes. But one night in a gay bar, Bekim meets a talking cat who moves in with him and his snake. This witty, charming, manipulative creature starts Bekim on a journey back to Kosovo to confront his demons and make sense of the remarkable, cruel history of his family. It is a journey that will eventually lead him to love.

Author Biography

Pajtim Statovci (b. 1990) moved from Kosovo to Finland with his family when he was two years old. My Cat Yugoslavia, his debut novel, was first published in Finland in 2014 to widespread critical acclaim and won the Helsingin Sanomat Prize for 'Best Debut'.