Everything Is Illuminated

Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

An American Jew goes back to Ukraine to find more information about his ancestors. He has a picture with a name on it and some maps. He recruits some Ukrainian guides and after much searching they finally find somebody that recognizes people in the picture. However, it is not exactly what they think it is. Interspersed with this story is the background of the ancestors and their village. They were not exactly perfect moral citizens, but had plenty of foibles.

What makes this story interesting is the narrative style. It is told from the point of view of the tour guide. He is an optimistic young guide who speaks English and would love to travel abroad. However, his family have done the same things in Ukraine for multiple generations, so he will stay put. He sees things from a hyper-local point of few, while trying to be more global. There is a huge amount of humor that pops out mostly unintentionally. He wants to present himself as the hypermasculine person that he thinks he should be, but is not. He has plenty of knowledge, but little understanding of social situations, especially with foreigners. Yet, in spite of this, he is an optimist and helps the American to complete their quest - even if the dog Sammy Davis Junior Junior keeps causing trouble.