The Union of Synchronized Swimmers

By (author): Cristina Sandu

Winner of the 2020 Toisinkoinen Literary Prize

It’s summer behind the Iron Curtain, and six girls begin a journey to the Olympics. But will they return?

In a stateless place, on the wrong side of a river separating East from West, six girls meet each day to swim. At first, they play, splashing each other and floating languidly on the water’s surface. But as summer draws to an end, the game becomes something more.

They hone their bodies relentlessly. Their skin shades into bruises. They barter cigarettes stolen from the factory where they work for swimsuits to stretch over their sunburnt skin. They tear their legs into splits, flick them back and forth, like herons. They master holding their breath underwater.

Then, one day, it finally happens: their visas arrive. But can what’s waiting on the other side of the river satisfy their longing for a different kind of life?

AUTHOR

Cristina Sandu

CRISTINA SANDU was born in 1989 in Helsinki to a Finnish-Romanian family who loved books. She studied literature at the University of Helsinki and the University of Edinburgh, and speaks six languages. She currently lives in the UK and works as a full-time writer. Her debut novel, The Whale Called Goliath (2017), was nominated for the Finlandia Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in Finland. The Union of Synchronized Swimmers is her first book to be published in English.


Reviews

“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


“In her first English-language publication (the translation her own), Sandu strikes linguistic chords that harmonize with the content and structure of her narrative.” —White Wall Review


Awards

  • Toisinkoinen Literary Prize 2020, Winner
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    Details

    Dimensions:

    116 Pages
    7.80in * 5.20in * .60in
    140.00gr
    1.00lb

    Published:

    June 22, 2021

    Publisher:

    Book*hug Press

    ISBN:

    9781771666749

    Book Subjects:

    FICTION / Sports

    Featured In:

    All Books

    Language:

    eng

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