No Smiling Allowed is a comedic take on life in the former Soviet Union, as an immigrant in America.

Julia Bendis has compiled almost forty years of funny stories about her old-fashioned and traditional Russian parents, their understanding of how life works in the United States, their hilarious adventures, and her own younger generation's view of what it was like to blend in as a weird-looking kid from Russia.

The book follows Julia and her family from their life in Riga, Latvia, which was part of the former Soviet Union, through their move to Orange County, California and all the adventures in between.

Being one of the first Russian (and Jewish) families in the bubble of OC was not easy, but also hysterical as they navigate everything from the freeways to grocery stores. 

Who knew that assimilation in a new country could have so many hilarious twists and turns?

"Grandma started running around with a metal pot, asking all the neighborhood kids to sit and pee in it. That's a sight I will never forget. She was a tough Ukrainian Jew that survived the war, so no kid wanted to ask questions. They just sat on it and peed in that pot".