A story of family, myths and deception. Bennet brings this heartwarming story to life through the eyes of children grown into men and the tap tap tap of the moth boy.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

A novel about two cousins who grew up together in Siberia but grew apart in Azov. It's about friendship and fear and second chances. It's a really good read. I loved it.

I could not get into this book at all, so I cannot recommend it.

A young doctor called Vlad decides to make a project of an old gentleman called Tolya and slowly entices him to reveal his boyhood memories. Tolya is recovering from a long illness and his memory seems to be lost but the avid interest of the doctor allows his memories to be peeled back like layers of an onion.

Gor is rehearsing for his magic show and has a list of errands to attend to but he is distracted by a weird tapping on his window, although he lives 4 floors up. He wonders if he is suffering from old age or madness.

These two cousins are both in the autumn of their lives and the story reveals both their lives as it switches back and forth. A story about ordinary people but their combined life stories is both poignant and funny and a delight to read.

I found some of the writing a little cumbersome at times as there are many characters and plenty of detail but once I found the rhythm of the writing it was a great read.

I read that Andrea Bennett studied and gained a degree in Russian & History and then worked in Russia. This post-Soviet Russian novel is written with deep compassion and I sense that Andrea has a love for all things Russian. Her novel would not be the same had she not lived and worked in Russia.

I am glad I persisted and ended up being charmed by the story.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the novel to review

What a beautiful heartwarming story which makes you melt with joy

What a good read this was. There was mystery and intrigue running through the story and I particularly liked the gentle and heartwarming way the author handled the character with dementia and such a lovely gentle ending. Would recommend this is a good read.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book full of fascinating characters set in the remote location of Azov, in post Lenin Russia. It is here that Gor, an ex-banker lives alone with his cats. There is a persistent rumour in the small community that he has millions of roubles stashed away somewhere in his house whereas, in reality, Gor has fallen on hard times. However this doesn't stop people making efforts to get their hands on the fictitious money and, as a result, they ensure he has a pretty hard time of it. Gor, meanwhile, using skills long forgotten, is planning to recreate a magical act to earn some money. For this he needs an assistant and, in response to his advertisement, he meets and hires Sveta. Due to fine writing and an intriguing storyline we are then taken on a journey where séances, sex, greed and theft all feature along with allotments, an old peoples' home and the presence of a large moth in a sandwich! It is a real delight to discover, as you turn the pages, how Andrea Bennett has woven these elements together to create such an enjoyable and coherent story. Highly recommended.

A beautifully written story about life. Gor and Tolya are getting older. This book tells of getting older and the community Gor and Tolya live in. An easy read to make you make you smile and sad in places. A different perspective on life worth reading.

Two Cousins of Asov is one of those books that are really hard to categorise. In one sense it's a family drama, the two cousins of the title, Gor and Tolya have become estranged, both older men with dark memories and secrets. It's also a mystery story, Gor is being terrorised, but why? And by who? As Gor attempts to train Sveta, his new magician's assistant he faces more and more torment, could the spirit world be behind the strange things that keep occurring, or is there a more down to earth culprit? Gor is an older man, could it all just be in his mind?
Meanwhile Tolya is in a sanatorium, with little memory of how he ended up there. He can however, remember his past, particularly Moth Boy, the strange visitor he recalls came to the childhood home he shared with his Baba. What is the truth behind Tolya's memories, and what really happened the night of a terrible fire when both men were still just boys?
At its heart, Two Cousins of Asov is a beautiful, sharp yet poignant character study. Gor is a wonderful lead character, at first a rather curmudgeonly old man, as the book progresses we see a man torn apart by guilt, desperate to make amends but not sure if he can face up to his past. Despite early impressions Gor is actually a very kind man, for all his bluster and solitary ways he's a man who needs love. Tolya is the gentler, more obviously vulnerable figure, it's not difficult to see how Tolya could be taken advantage of. Even when we see the boy Tolya, as he remembers his past, we are aware that he is a bit different, his rich imagination both a gift and a curse. The other characters in the books are no less complex or sensitively brought to life. First impressions of Sveta aren't entirely favourable but she is revealed to be a strong, brave and committed single mother who is prepared to run into to, rather than away from, danger. Albina, her daughter is a fabulous character, completely spolit and sharp minded, her innate kindness and wit means she becomes somebody you can't help warming to despite her precociousness. Polly, on the other hand is far harder to like, she is however, a deliciously dark and manipulative woman, the relationship she has with Vlad passionate yet ultimately toxic. The secondary characters all add a real colour and vibrancy to the proceedings, much of the humour in the book - and there is plenty, including some genuinely laugh out loud moments - comes from their interactions.
Set in Russia in the 1990s Andrea Bennett's knowledge of the country, the sights, smells and particularly tastes are vividly brought to life (I need to try pryaniki now!) There are numerous reminders of the country's recent Soviet past, however, there is also something folkloric about the book; despite the starkness of the Communist era, Russia is of course a country with a rich tradition of myths and stories. Two Cousins of Asov recalls this past as well as the more utilitarian history of the country and in doing so Andrea Bennett has woven a tale that is quirky, poignant, witty and wise. I thoroughly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publishers for my copy, received in return for my honest review.

Loved this book - read it just after I finished The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce.and the heart-warming narratives are strikingly similar.
Definitely good for library reading groups and I will recommend thusly.
Will post my full review on Monday 17th July, as per blog tour.

This book was a nice, heart-warming read that eventually makes you appreciate having the people in your life and all the oddballs as well. A majority of the characters are a little bit eccentric and have their own little quirks that are shown throughout the story and it gave the book a nice, whimsical feel. The ‘villain' in this book was also great, and really had me infuriated at them throughout and eager for their comeuppance.

The writing flowed really well and I definitely got easily sucked into the story. I read big chunks of it without even realising i had read so much in a short space of time. This is a book, story and characters you can lose yourself in. This is a character-driven story in my opinion, so people who like those quiet stories that bury their way into your heart will love this. Also anyone who loves a story set in Russian or full of Russian people. All the people in this book for the most part grew up in the Soviet Union and under Stalin’s rule so that was interesting when they talked about their childhoods.

Weird side note: All of the names in this book are just beautiful and I loved reading them all in full. One of those weird things that just made me happy.

This is good book for people who like quiet, heart-warming stories about loneliness and companionship and what the simple act of listening and being there for someone can do for people who are in desperate need of it. I recommend to people who liked A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

Sorry wasn't for me, how ever I don't want to leave a star review because imagine this would be a great book for the right reader

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This is a terrific novel set in Post Soviet Russia in the town of Azov, full of eccentric characters. Gor and Tolya are elderly cousins who grew up in Siberia, there is a distance between them, solidified through a dark and difficult history. Gor is a retired banker who is hearing a tapping on his windows, eating sandwiches with a moth as filling, amidst other odd and macabre happenings. Tolya is in a sanatorium suffering from the ill effects of trauma and dementia. Gor is a rusty magician who is planning to take up the profession once again, hiring Sveta as his assistant. Sveta, a single mother by choice, wants something different in life and dreams of sparkling and glamorous outfits whilst practicing her role of assistant. Her beloved daughter, Albina, and her swearing parakeet, steal the show in this novel of love, loss, loneliness, family, regrets, and redemption.

Vlad is a good looking student doctor gaining experience in gerontology, he focuses on Tolya as a research case study. His aim is to identify the trigger for Tolya's mental breakdown. Tolya who has not spoken to anyone of his past begins to give us a picture of his childhood, the myths of the moth boy in Russian folklore, his closeness to and love of his grandmother, Baba, and the entry of Yuri into their lives. An impatient Vlad tries to steer their talks to the recent source of his abject confusion, but Tolya insists the answers lie in deeper in his past. Vlad is sexually obsessed with his girlfriend, Polly, who has plans to be wealthy, come what may. There are odd and menacing forces within the sanatorium. Rumours abound in Azov about Gor's riches, of how he has gold and cash stashed in his flat. Sveta suggests a seance with Madame Zoya to get to the bottom of the strangeness infecting his life. There is much mayhem, confusion, and humour as Gor comes to acknowledge the errors and mistakes he has made in his life as he reconnects with Tolya and cements a deep connection with Sveta and Albina.

This is a wonderful and warm story that is a delight to read, from start to finish, set amidst the background of Russian history and mythology. Without doubt, the eccentric characters are what really imprint this book into your memory, they are unforgettable. I adored the scenes of Madame Zoya painting Vlad in the nude when they are so rudely interrupted and the madness when so many turn up at Tolya's home at the end! I hope the author returns to these characters in future books. I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book as a memorable, entertaining and comic read. Thanks to Emelie and HarperCollins for an ARC.

This book has just appeared on my shelf. I haven't requested it and it doesn't seem to be a type of book that I would like read. Therefore, I feel that I won't be able to read and review it. I hope this will not affect my chances of receiving books for review from you in the future.