“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
“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
“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
“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
“The Union of Synchronized Swimmers is the exploration of the old notion, “the grass is always greener on the other side”. Each of the women finds herself in a very different situation to the one they expected, and yet for all their hopes and dreams, what they find is not always better than what they left. But this is not a dark or depressing book, instead Sandu writes each character with a degree of positivity and optimism whatever their circumstance, leaving us with the feeling that it is ok to wonder what else might be out there for us if we take the chance to seek it.”
Hannah, The Raven Book Store
“Six girls who live behind The Iron Curtain change their leisurely summer swimming routine into something more intense and purposeful. Peeks into their lives as adults are bound together by atmospheric vignettes of their childhood in the river and journey into the world of synchronized swimming. The kind of book you could read in one sitting, one breath, or spread out over weeks of indulgent moments.”
Maggie Henrickson, Carmichael's Bookstore
“Vivid … Sandu’s direct prose has impact.”
Publishers Weekly
“Simply and beautifully told, Cristina Sandu’s second novel hides much beneath the surface.”
Daunt Books
“Sandu’s novel strikes home. This is a timely and lyrical musing on the troubles waiting across the border: racism and xenophobia, the gendered nature of independent life, and the unexpected loneliness of no longer speaking in one’s mother tongue.”
Miriam Balanescu, The Irish Times
“Intricate and intimate … Cristina Sandu’s talent with words can dazzle the reader, with still the capacity to leave so much unsaid … The writing is as graceful as movements in the river they so elegantly swim in … a small, punchy almost pocket-sized literary work of art.”
Carina McNally, Irish Examiner
“A true page-turner.”
Evening Standard
“[A] pocket history of contemporary Europe … an impressive accomplishment.”
Tobias Carroll, Words Without Borders
“Reminiscent of Wioletta Greg’s Swallowing Mercury, this short but impactful novella follows six young women’s lives, from a river behind to Iron Curtain to the Olympics and eventually, their freedom. Sandu’s English language debut explores the ties between women, the hunger for a better life, and the simultaneously futile and miraculous hope in an unforgiving world.”
Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, LitHub
“This is a novel that can be devoured in one sitting, but this may not necessarily be the best way to approach the material. Each story is a small gem, Sandu using an almost poetic approach to convey deep sense of character and place in a limited number of words. So that it may be just as rewarding to take some time between each story, to savor each one and allow it to percolate a little before moving on. No matter how readers choose approach it, The Union of Synchronized Swimmers will deliver a unique and affecting experience.”
Robert Goodman, The Blurb
“The Union of Synchronized 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
“For a quick, inspiring read, pick up a copy of The Union of Synchronized Swimmers. While it tells the story of six women who, when young workers at a cigarette factory in the ‘not free’ part of an eastern European country, decided to ‘go for it.’ As they swam in the local river, they learned a variety of moves involved in the new sport of synchronised swimming, hoping for a chance at ‘something better.’ Whether you consume this small translated tome in a single gulp or choose to savor it, sip by sip, you’ll be exposed to some new ideas, ideals and even hope.”
Linda B. Aunties
