'With structural, determined prose, Cristina Sandu embodies the Eastern bloc cryptology of storytelling where strings of non-verbal cues and mistranslations become ways of speaking. Sandu evokes that eerie Soviet sense of hope, brimming with futility and grace.' -- Yelena Moskovich, author of
The Natashas'Sandu's precise narration demonstrates the refined and sparing characteristics of Finnish modernism ... These ingeniously disconnected stories entice the reader ... Delicate and subtle.'
* Helsingin Sanomat *
'Cristina Sandu's narration is magical ... Her poetic and airy prose weaves together the strongly metaphorical and the realistic ... In these moving stories about the fates of Eastern European women, her narrative is universal and titanic.'
* Suomen Kuvalehti *
'Cristina Sandu's spare and sparkling prose is intimate and visceral. A deeply moving story about six women who dare to dream bigger than their muddy river, whose lives splinter from their tight synchronized formations into an unflinching, often unforgiving world. An exquisite and powerful read.'
-- Lindsay Zier-Vogel, author of
Letters to Amelia'There are a lot of subsurface vibrations in the book. Desire, as well as clear threats, but we don't know whether those actualise. Ingeniously disconnected stories entice the reader to continue. On the other hand, they suggest that Sandu also has larger stories to tell ... The accurate, delicate and subtle writing relies on the refined and sparing characteristics of the Finnish modernism.'
* Helsingin Sanomat *
'Skilfully crafted and defined, airy, and multi-layered. Highly praised for the themes of detachment as well as the description of externality and differentness. A work greater than its size gives a chance to pause, feel, and reflect on what one has read.'
* Toisinkoinen Literary Prize Jury citation *
'The Union of Synchronised Swimmers is a short, engaging read, and Sandu has done an excellent job on both the story and her English version. There's a lot to like about these sketches of women in exile, struggling to make a new life for themselves and to block out the memories of their old one ... It shows us that whether you jet off to a new job, or sneak across the border in your swimming gear, the mere fact of reaching a new country doesn't necessarily mean you'll live happily ever after.'
* Tony's Reading List *
Praise for The Whale Called Goliath:
'If a debut reaches even a fraction of the lyrical, graceful and melancholic beauty present in Cristina Sandu's The Whale Called Goliath, or of the exotic reality she weaves from golden fairy-tales, then one can expect a great deal ... The story is intertwined with unimaginably exquisite senses and feelings, the delicate and brittle question of what is the world in which we live ... This debut is beautiful as a prayer.'
* Keskisuomalainen *
Praise for The Whale Called Goliath:
'The debut novelist Cristina Sandu creates both a photographically precise and magical story of what it is like to live between two different cultures. The best thing in the novel is its language: dense, poetic, and sensually beautiful. How far will this young author end up reaching?'
* Suomen Kuvalehti *
Praise for The Whale Called Goliath:
'The novel exquisitely describes the pains of multiculturalism ... The Whale Called Goliath is at its most luscious in its linguistic expression ... It is a pleasure to travel through its delicate, melancholy atmosphere.'
-- Turun Sanomat
Praise for The Whale Called Goliath:
'The debut novelist Cristina Sandu creates both a photographically precise and magical story of what it is like to live between two different cultures. The best thing in the novel is its language: dense, poetic, and sensually beautiful. How far will this young author end up reaching?'
* Suomen Kuvalehti *
Praise for The Whale Called Goliath:
'The novel exquisitely describes the pains of multiculturalism ... The Whale Called Goliath is at its most luscious in its linguistic expression ... It is a pleasure to travel through its delicate, melancholy atmosphere.'
* Turun Sanomat *
