In the bestselling tradition of "Doctor Zhivago" and "Sophie's Choice, " a sweeping epic of Russia from the last days of the Tsars to today's age of oligarchs -- by the prizewinning author of "Young Stalin."Winter 1916: St. Petersburg, Russia, is on the brink of revolution. Outside the Smolny Institute for Noble Girls, an English governess is waiting for her young charge to be released from school. But so are the Tsar's secret police...Beautiful and headstrong, Sashenka Zeitlin is just sixteen. As her mother parties with Rasputin and their dissolute friends, Sashenka slips into the frozen night to play her part in a dangerous game of conspiracy and seduction.Twenty years on, Sashenka is married to a powerful, rising Red leader with whom she has two children. Around her people are disappearing, while in the secret world of the elite her own family is safe. But she's about to embark on a forbidden love affair that will have devastating consequences.Sashenka's story lies hidden for half a century, until a young historian goes deep into Stalin's private archives and uncovers a heartbreaking tale of betrayal and redemption, savage cruelty and unexpected heroism -- and one woman forced to make an unbearable choice.

西濛·塞巴格·濛蒂菲奧裏（Simon Sebag Montefiore），猶太人貴族，和皇室有血緣關係。著有多部榮獲大奬的暢銷書，現已翻譯為超過四十八種語言齣版。作品包括《葉卡捷琳娜大帝與波將金》（入選塞繆爾·約翰遜奬、達夫·庫珀奬、馬希傳記奬短名單），《斯大林：紅色沙皇的宮廷》（榮獲英國 圖書奬的年度曆史圖書奬），《青年斯大林》（榮獲英國科斯塔傳記奬、美國《洛杉磯時報》傳記奬、法國政治傳記大奬和奧地利剋萊斯基政治文學奬）。《耶路撒冷三韆年》獲美國猶太圖書理事會“年度好書”奬。《羅曼諾夫皇朝》是全球級暢銷書，入選《紐約時報》十大好書榜單，並榮獲意大利“盧皮凱亞·德爾·特裏奇奧文學奬”。 其作品在西方有不同看法。

他的作品還包括得到高度贊揚的小說“莫斯科三部麯”：《薩申卡》《正午的紅色天空》和《鼕夜》（榮獲英國年度政治小說奬）。他為BBC撰寫並主持瞭五部電視紀錄片，涉及伊斯坦布爾、耶路撒冷、羅馬、西班牙和維也納的曆史。他的多部作品將被改編為電影和電視劇。

譯者簡介

吳亞敏，北京第二外國語學院文學學士，廈門大學曆史學碩士。 喜讀書愛運動好旅遊，鍾情雪山冰川湖泊森林。譯有小說《人虎》和“莫斯科三部麯”。