num_pages: 304
description: In her utterly original novel about mothers, daughters, and love, Judy Budnitz gives the traditional folktale an electrifying twist as she follows four generations of women from an Eastern European village to the tenements of an American city. Elena, born into a family ruled by a formidable mother, embarks on an epic journey to the New World, met along the way by evil, magic, and good fortune. The daughter, grand-daughter, and great-granddaughter who follow each share her special powers of observation and, often, destruction. The result is a family saga unlike any other: a hilarious, heartbreaking story of family ties that bind.
language: English
title: If I Told You Once
titlecomplete: If I Told You Once
genres: Fiction, Magical Realism, School, Fairy Tales, Novels, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Russia
ratings_count: 910
awards: awardedAt: 946713600000
name: Orange Prize
category: Fiction Shortlist, awardedAt: 946713600000
name: Edward Lewis Wallant Award
publisher: Picador