''A supremely talented writer ... Open this book, fasten your seatbelt, and brace for impact'' Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn''s Long Halftime Walk The debut novel by ''one of the leading post-Soviet writers of her generation'' ( The Atlantic ) which chronicles the journey of three Ukrainian women and one extremely endangered snail through the travails of capitalism, foreign invasion, romance and survival. Ukraine, 2022. Nastia and her sister, Solimaya, are entangled in the booming bridal industry, entertaining Western men who''ve come to Ukraine on ''Romance Tours'' to find their dream woman. Yeva is a a maverick scientist who''s tried, and failed, to breed specimens from the region''s dwindling snail population in her mobile lab. Nastia''s obsession with finding her absent mother leads her to embark on the journey of a lifetime across hundreds of miles: three angry women, a truckful of kidnapped Western bachelors, and Lefty, a rare snail with one last shot at perpetuating his species. This journey, and these dreams, come to a screeching halt as Russia invades. Praise for GOOD CITIZENS NEED NOT FEAR: ''Bright, funny, satirical and relevant. . . . A new talent to watch!'' MARGARET ATWOOD (via Twitter) ''Bang-on brilliant'' MIRIAM TOEWS ''Outstanding'' ANTHONY DOERR

Autorentext
Maria Reva was born in Ukraine and grew up in Canada. Her story collection, Good Citizens Need Not Fear, won the Kobzar Book Award and was a finalist for the Writers' Trust of Canada's Fiction Prize. Her writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Granta, The Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere. She also works as an opera librettist.

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LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025
** LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2026

• WINNER OF THE ATWOOD GIBSON WRITERS' TRUST FICTION PRIZE A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, IRISH TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE NEW YORKER, NPR, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
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  ***An unforgettable debut novel about the journey of three women and one extremely endangered snail through contemporary Ukraine

• 'A fierce and funny road-trip novel' GUARDIAN, the 50 hottest books to read right now
  'Inventive and playful' SUNDAY TIMES
  'A stunningdebut' OBSERVER
  'I was gripped . . . Brilliant' DAILY MAIL
  'A thrilling ride' FINANCIAL TIMES
  'A bold, brilliant, original, funny and devastating novel' KATE MCLOUGHLIN, TLS
  'Brilliant and heart-stopping' LOS ANGELES TIMES
  'Startling and ambitious' NEW YORK TIMES
  *'Animated by dark humor and cool fury'* NEW YORKER
  'Dexterous and formally inventive' MARCEL THEROUX, GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE DAY

  Ukraine, 2022. Yeva is a maverick scientist who scours the country's forests and valleys, trying and failing to breed rare snails while her relatives urge her to settle down and start a family of her own. What they don't know: Yeva already dates plenty of men-not for love, but to fund her work-entertaining Westerners who come to Ukraine on guided romance tours believing they'll find docile brides untainted by feminism.

  Nastia and her sister, Solomiya, are also entangled in the booming marriage industry, posing as a hopeful bride and her translator while secretly searching for their missing mother, who vanished after years of fierce activism against the romance tours.

  So begins a journey of a lifetime across a country on the brink of war: three angry women, a truckful of kidnapped bachelors, and Lefty, a last-of-his-kind snail with one final shot at perpetuating his species.

  ** LONGLISTED FOR THE ASPEN WORDS LITERARY PRIZE

• FINALIST FOR THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARDS
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  'Fantastic . . . I love works that are smarter than I am and this is one' PERCIVAL EVERETT, author of Booker-shortlisted JAMES

  'Funny and smart, full of science, longing and adventure . . . This is essential reading' ANN PATCHETT, bestselling author of TOM LAKE

  'Heartbreaking, hilarious, profound, and vital' LARA PRESCOTT, bestselling author of THE SECRETS WE KEEP