A New York Times Bestseller from the author of Lilac Girls
In 1914 Eliza Ferriday goes on a trip of a lifetime with a close confidante, Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two had met in Paris a few years ago, and now Eliza has the opportunity to travel to St. Petersburg and see the church with jeweled mosaics, the ballet, and even the Tsar's Winter Palace.
Then Austria declares war on Serbia, and Russia's imperial dynasty is in trouble. Eliza escapes back to America, and Sofya and her family flee to their country estate where they hire Varinka to do housework. Varinka's presence brings great danger to their house, and no one is safe.
Meanwhile, Eliza is at home trying to help Russian families escape the revolution. Then Sofya's letter stop coming, and Eliza fears Sofya is dead.
The novel travels from St. Petersburg, to countryside estates, to Paris, to the mansions of Long Island. The stories of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in unpredictable ways, and no one can predict how it ends.
