The Enviable Feeling of Vera Stenina

The novel “A Remarkable Sense of Vera Stenina” tells the story of a female friendship-rivalry. Vera, an art critic and a single mother, constantly envies her friend Yulka. Yulka, on the other hand, is always lucky and never envies anyone—though she could, because Vera has a unique gift: she can sense paintings in a special way. She speaks to portraits, feels the scent of painted flowers, and hears the music played by the performers depicted in the paintings…

The novel is multilayered: an anatomy of envy; the blending of Western European tradition with Russian mentality; a light detective touch; and—and in full voice—an anthem to art and beauty.