Leaving Katya

The hard-nosed empiricism of America and the larger-than-life romance of Russia face off in a story of love complicated by culture. From their first date on a white night on the Neva, Daniel is constantly asking himself, "Is Katya sexy or just Soviet?" He questions his instincts, wondering whether the enigmatic woman he fell for in Leningrad is the love of his life or just another part of what his father calls The Russia Phase. Before Daniel can sift through all the competing...
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The hard-nosed empiricism of America and the larger-than-life romance of Russia face off in a story of love complicated by culture. From their first date on a white night on the Neva, Daniel is constantly asking himself, "Is Katya sexy or just Soviet?" He questions his instincts, wondering whether the enigmatic woman he fell for in Leningrad is the love of his life or just another part of what his father calls The Russia Phase. Before Daniel can sift through all the competing voices in his head, events overtake him. The Soviet Union falls, he returns home to New York, and Katya arrives for a visit with all her worldly possessions in tow. The ethereal charm of their Russian courtship gives way to the difficulties of staying afloat-and staying together-in New York. Without any particular ambitions, Daniel finds himself married into Russian émigré culture, isolated from his friends, and adrift from his true self. Paul Greenberg's debut novel is a sometimes surreal, often poignant roller-coaster ride through the center of the male-female puzzle.