three narratives 
 Author account of history of his family in Trachimbrod 
 His ukrainian translator's account of author's search for those that saved his grandfather from the Nazi's 
 letters from translator 
 found the early translator letters frustrating - overuse of the lost in translation, thesaurus idea for me, though with some laugh out loud moments 
 what will stay with me is the final section (view spoiler)[with the accounts of exterminations in the villages, Alex's grandfathers betrayal of his friend and the inertia in the village at the approach of the nazis (hide spoiler)]