EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
A haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center.In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land... ...a young girl lived happily in Moscow with her family: a sister, a father, and an eccentric mother who liked to tell fairy tales and collect porcelain dolls.
One summer night, everything changed, and all that remained of that family were the girl and her mother.
Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has an English name, a loving fiancé, and a promising future, but all she wants is to understand—and bury—the past. After her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia, armed with little more than her mother’s strange folklore—and a single key.
What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin’s purges, and beyond.
At the heart of this saga stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, whose actions—and love for an idealistic man—will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century....
"A haunting, remarkable debut about secrets, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center. In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land... ...Rosie lived peacefully in Moscow and her mother told her fairy tales. Magical stories that could have been the folklore of their people, or her mother's own imaginings-Rosie was never sure. But one summer night, all of that came abruptly to an end when her father and sister were gunned down. Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has a fiancâe who knows nothing of her former life. When her reclusive mother dies and leaves behind a notebook full of eerie handwritten tales, Rosie returns to Russia and uncovers a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin's purges, and beyond. At the heart of this stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, and idealistic, handsome Valentin, who dreams of a better Russia. Both of their actions will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century."--
