First published 1997
Moscow, 1932. Dashing historian Anna Petrovna is summoned to the Kremlin for a private meeting with Joseph Stalin. The charismatic leader is transfixed by her beauty and intellect, and a forbidden romance blossoms amid the shadows of Stalin's brutal regime. As their liaison deepens, Anna is drawn into a world of treachery and lies, forced to navigate the dangers of Stalin's inner circle to protect her family. With the threat of the gulag looming, Anna must make an impossible choice - surrender to Stalin's twisted affections or risk everything for a chance at freedom.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-romance
Setting: England, Moscow, Russia
Period: 1932
Hardcover · Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Content warnings: abuse