This is the first novel by the well-known American writer of Russian origin. Its main theme—the individual versus the state, personal happiness versus the public good—is masterfully conveyed through the backdrop of dramatic events in the life of Petrograd-Leningrad in the early 1920s. Without any leniency toward its heroes, the author tells us about that troubled period of our history. A former aristocrat, in his zeal for service to the new regime, betrays friends and loved ones. The hero of the Civil War, after all his victories, changes sides and turns away from the cause of the party. The love of the novel’s heroine for the son of a executed admiral leads to a romantic relationship with a GPU officer. The knot of problems tightens.