Moonlight in Odessa

. . . Just finished Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles. Called "a stubborn alternative to the classically male post-Soviet narrative," the book looks at the world of international matchmaking agencies; basically the marketing and exploitation of desperate women in need of new opportunities. Moonlight takes place in Odessa, Ukraine, and shines a light on American men who select brides from struggling countries and bring them home, expecting dutiful and totally dependent homemakers and wives. Daria, a bright, independent woman working for one of these matchmaking agencies, gets sucked into the idea of the American dream herself, and her insight into marriage and relationships is painfully honest.