Synopses & Reviews
The setting is Milwaukee, Wisconsin—if not Americas heart, then at least its liver—home to an array of breweries and abandoned factories and down-on-their-luck Eastern European immigrants. The year is 1989.
Revolutions are sweeping through the nations of the Eastern Bloc. Communism is unraveling. And nobody feels this unraveling more piquantly than Yuri Balodis—a fifteen-year-old first-generation American living with his Latvian-immigrant parents in Milwaukees Third Ward.
Its a turbulent time. And when Yuri falls in love with Hannah Graham—the daring daughter of a prominent local socialist—chaos ensues. Within weeks, Yuri is ensnared by both Hannah and socialism. He joins the staff of the Socialist Worker. He starts quoting Lenin and Marx indiscriminately.
His parents, of course, are horrified and deeply saddened. They try to educate him, to show him why, in their opinion, communism has ruined so many lives. But Yuri is stubborn. And his ideological betrayal will have more serious consequences than breaking his parents hearts.
Red Weather is by turns funny and bittersweet, tinged with a rueful comic sense that will instantly remind you of the absurd complications of love. Pauls Toutonghis stunning debut novel is at once reminiscent of Michael Chabons The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
The setting is Milwaukee, Wisconsinif not Americas heart, then at least its liverhome to an array of breweries and abandoned factories and down-on-their-luck Eastern European immigrants. The year is 1989.
Revolutions are sweeping through the nations of the Eastern Bloc. Communism is unraveling. And nobody feels this unraveling more piquantly than Yuri Balodisa fifteen-year-old first-generation American living with his Latvian-immigrant parents in Milwaukees Third Ward.
Its a turbulent time. And when Yuri falls in love with Hannah Grahamthe daring daughter of a prominent local socialistchaos ensues. Within weeks, Yuri is ensnared by both Hannah and socialism. He joins the staff of the Socialist Worker. He starts quoting Lenin and Marx indiscriminately.
His parents, of course, are horrified and deeply saddened. They try to educate him, to show him why, in their opinion, communism has ruined so many lives. But Yuri is stubborn. And his ideological betrayal will have more serious consequences than breaking his parents hearts.
Red Weather is by turns funny and bittersweet, tinged with a rueful comic sense that will instantly remind you of the absurd complications of love. Pauls Toutonghis stunning debut novel is at once reminiscent of Michael Chabons The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Growing up in working-class Milwaukee, Yuri Balodis, a Latvian-American teenager, struggles to cope with the complexities of adolescence, including conflict with his fiercely patriotic parents, who disapprove of Yuri's relationship with Hannah Graham, the daughter of a prominent Milwaukee socialist. Reader's Guide available. A first novel. Rreprint. 15,000 first printing.
About the Author
Pauls Toutonghi is a first-generation American. He has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, and his writing has appeared in
Sports Illustrated,
Zoetrope,
One Story, and the
Boston Review. He lives in Brooklyn.
From the Hardcover edition.
Reading Group Guide
1. What was your opinion of Yuris father, Rudolfi? Did your feelings about him change as you read the book?
2. Why do you think Yuri started selling the Socialist Worker?
3. “I slipped in and out of a dream in which Hannah and I were at a picnic, drinking wine and eating sandwiches on delicious French bread. The bread was unbelievably fresh and the sandwiches were made from the finest-quality meats and cheeses. But the more we ate, the larger the sandwiches became. I couldnt stop eating, I knew, because then Id lose Hannah. So I ate and sweated and ate and sweated and ate” (page 178). What does Yuris dream reveal about his feelings for Hannah?
4. Of the many colorful characters in the book, which one or ones stood out for you? Why?
5. Discuss the relationship between Yuri and his father. Would you describe it as typical? If so, in what respects? If not, why?
6. The city of Milwaukee holds a special place in Rudolfis heart: “He loved Milwaukee. It was his city, his adopted city, and the center of his life in his adopted country” (page 26). But in 1989, Milwaukee was in a depressed economic and social state. What are some parallels between the city and Rudolfis state of mind?
7. “I was drawn to him, inexplicably drawn” (page 128). What do you think is behind Yuris attraction to Eriks?
8. Part 2 of the novel begins with an excerpt of a poem by Wallace Stevens, “Disillusionment of Ten OClock” (page 105). What does this poem mean in terms of the events of Red Weather?
9. How are Erikss and Yuris fathers alike and different? How might these similarities and disparities explain why Yuri is fascinated by Eriks but rejects his own father?
10. The fall of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 is one of the storys central backdrops. How does the author use this event metaphorically?
11. What role does alcohol-and its abuses-play in the story?
12. At several points in the novel, Yuri goes along as another person engages in reckless behavior, against his own better judgment and to disastrous results. Why is Yuri so willing to do dangerous things?
13. The balcony in the Balodiss apartment figures prominently in the story. What does the balcony best symbolize: a precipice, a gateway, a refuge, or something else?
14. What did you think when Rudolfis true identity is revealed in the epilogue? Did it come as a surprise? If so, why? If not, at what other points in the novel did you find hints about Rudolfis former life?
15. What does the books title mean?
Red Weather is rich with poignant situations and hilarious scenes that are ripe for discussion, from narrator Yuri Balodiss desperate attempts to fit in with his American peers and his constant mortification at the actions of his émigré parents (especially those of his father, Rudolfi), to his quasi-romance with the beguiling socialist Hannah Graham and his confusing attraction to his Latvian cousin, Eriks. The immigrants experience in America, the angst and bewilderment of adolescence, what it means to be a patriot, the power of family, the meaning of sacrifice, the relationship between fathers and sons-these are all great themes for conversation, and this guide is designed to help direct your reading groups dialogue about Pauls Toutonghis wry, sweet, and unforgettable first novel.