How important is family to you? Mike, in Old Country Surprises, thinks he highly values family until his grandfather shows him that his job is more important. Determined to correct that impression, Mike agrees to his grandfather’s request. Go to Ukraine, and I find his grandfather’s birthplace.

Mike’s research leads him to experience the rich Ukrainian culture. However, finding the requested birthplace hits a dead end, until he meets Natasha, a young, attractive, aristocratic hotel manager. From her, he learns that appreciating family means knowing its roots and a deeper meaning behind some of the cultural practices as well as its history.

Rising to Natasha’s standard of valuing family is something he knows his grandfather would support. First, what he needs but attempts to avoid, is a focused reflection on her and what she modeled. What will force him to do it?