by Ayn Rand
First published 1996
Kira Argounova arrives in Petrograd after the Russian Revolution, her family stripped of status and wealth. Desperate to study engineering and build a life on her own terms, she navigates a brutal system that suffocates individual ambition. Her passionate love for Leo Kovalensky—a consumptive, disillusioned man—becomes both sanctuary and struggle against a regime that demands total submission. As food grows scarce and opportunities vanish, Kira must choose between compromising her principles or facing complete annihilation. Her battle is not just for love, but for the fundamental right to live according to her own vision.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, russian-literature
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Petrograd, Russia
Period: Russian Revolution
464 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet