Spotlight: Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

Midnight in St. Petersburg

by Vanora Bennett

Thomas Dunne Books

January 19, 2016

Hardcover, eBook; 384 pages

ISBN: 978-1250079435

St. Petersburg, 1911: Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital city. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head. She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive and devoted to revolution; Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin.

As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stradivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But which man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late? A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Vanora Bennett's Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

Praise for Midnight in St. Petersburg:

“A tale of thundering passions set in the Russian Revolution . . . Historical fiction at its best.”
―Kate Saunders, The Times (UK)

“A rich gorgeous broth of passion and danger . . . I was swept away by the meticulous set-dressing, epic plot, and unashamed romanticism.”
―Saga Magazine

“Bennett’s sophisticated grasp of historical realities and psychological complexity gives power and depth to what might easily have been a cliched romance.”
―The Sunday Times (UK)

“Engaging tale of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. The author’s style is easy on the eye, and the story is both fascinating and illuminating.”
―Books Monthly

"A thoughtful read for those interested in Russian history or historical dramas."
―School Library Journal

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About the Author:

Vanora Bennett studied Russian at Oxford University and in the USSR. She began her career as a journalist at Reuters and went on to serve as the Moscow correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, winning a U.S. Overseas Press Club award for her writing on Russia. She now lives in Britain and has won the Orwell Prize for political writing for her work at The Times (UK). She is the author of four novels, including Portrait of an Unknown Woman, and two books of nonfiction.