Leaving Katya

by Paul Greenberg

When Daniel, a young American, falls in love with the enigmatic Katya, an enigmatic Soviet woman, their romance is complicated by the fall of the Soviet Union, the conflict between American and Russian culture, financial difficulties, isolation, and identity crises. A first novel. 12,500 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Russia

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Paul Greenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of Four Fish, American Catch, The Omega Principle and Goodbye Phone, Hello World. A regular contributor to the Times and many other publications, Mr. Greenberg is the winner of a James Beard Award for Writing and Literature, a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation and the writer-in-residence at the Safina Center. He has been featured on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, TED and PBS's Frontline.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read, despite Katya being about the most annoying character ever. I spent much of the book trying to figure out why Daniel was staying with her. But, I suppose that's what the book was getting at--the whole unexplainable attraction to a culture more exotic than one's own (in this case, Soviet culture). In the end, Daniel makes the right decision, although his life does seem a little bland in comparison.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly developed characters, plot was strangely disjointed.

[NCHS Library]

From the Publisher
The hard-nosed empiricism of America and the larger-than-life romance of Russia face off in a story of love complicated by culture. From their first date on a white night on the Neva, Daniel is constantly asking himself, "Is Katya sexy or just Soviet?" He questions his instincts, wondering whether the enigmatic woman he fell for in Leningrad is the love of his life or just another part of what his father calls The Russia Phase. Before Daniel can sift through all the competing voices in his head, events overtake him. The Soviet Union falls, he returns home to New York, and Katya arrives for a visit with all her worldly possessions in tow. The ethereal charm of their Russian courtship gives way to the difficulties of staying afloat-and staying together-in New York.

[Chris Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful autobiographical essay by Mr. Greenberg on Salon, which made me want to read his novel based on the same material. It's a good book (and definitely worth the 99 cents that it costs on a Kindle) and it made me want to go back and read my Dostoyevsky, the same way I felt after reading Elif Batuman's The Possessed. But even more than being a love letter to a culture, the novel's loving tribute to love itself is a pleasure to read. The narrator is a bit passive and ridiculous at times, but it all rings true.

[Maeve Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely pleasurable read.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this a try only because the author is the partner of one of our doctoral students. It was suprisingly subtle & insightful. Apparently the novel is based on the author's own experience.

[Angelique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - a real insight tothe ruskaya doosha! A good holiday read.