A Train to Moscow

“Spellbinding, poignant, breathtaking, Elena Gorokhova’s first novel explores the meaning of truth, art, and the cost of secrets under the Soviet regime. Sasha’s story of pursuing her dreams no matter the cost will stay in your heart long after reading.” —Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept

“Elena Gorokhova’s debut novel, A Train to Moscow, is a taut, high-wire masterpiece. Rebellious aspiring actress Sasha comes of age in the pressure-cooker world of the postwar Soviet Union, battling oppressive Party politics, an enigmatic lover turned political censor, and the buried secrets of her own family, which threaten to upset the fragile balance of survival. An unforgettable portrait of artistic struggle, strangled love, and undying hope—I couldn’t put it down!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

“Through the eyes of young Sasha, an instinctive rebel against the stifling conformity imposed by state and family, we are given an intimate and unforgettable picture of Russian society in the decades after 1945. Sasha’s story crackles with energy; we come away with a new understanding of why, to her generation, the arts offered the only road to freedom.” —J. M. Coetzee, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature and author of The Death of Jesus

“With skill and eloquence, Elena Gorokhova lays bare the complexities of growing up in post-WWII Russia in this powerful story of tangled passions and deep-rooted loyalties. A Train to Moscow is a superb and memorable debut.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

“Elena Gorokhova’s A Train to Moscow is a marvelously complex love story set against the harsh realities of Soviet life in the 1950s and 1960s. Gorokhova knows that life intimately—the settings are filled with details that will ring absolutely true to anyone who spent time on the cold side of the Iron Curtain—and she knows, just as well, the intricacies of the human heart. A cast of memorable characters, a perfectly drawn background, fascinating historical scenes—all of it in service of a story that will hold the reader from first page to last. This is a remarkable achievement, not only for a first-time novelist but for any novelist. I truly enjoyed it.” —Roland Merullo, author of A Russian Requiem and From These Broken Streets