
The Genius Under the Table
By Eugene YelchinThe Genius Under the Table is bleak but also strangely cozy at times. It’s hopeful, heartbreaking, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, and may stir up tender feelings for your own strange family.
Eugene (Yevgeny) is a child growing up behind the Iron Curtain. His family shares a kitchen and bathroom with several families, including a spy who’s always lurking in the corner of the kitchen. Eugene is bursting with questions - Why is his grandfather’s face cut out of all the family pictures? Why doesn’t anyone want to talk about defecting (which is too close to the word defecating?) And why