Invitation to a Bonfire

Set in the 1920s, "Invitation to a Bonfire" follows Zoya Andropova, a young refugee from the Soviet Union grappling with alienation at an elite New Jersey boarding school. Amidst the hostility of her peers and her own personal losses, she meets Leo Orlo, a captivating writer, whose complicated relationship with his brilliant wife, Vera, complicates Zoya's search for belonging. As Zoya navigates issues of class, national identity, and the intricacies of love, she must confront the choices that shape her future and explore the true cost of happiness. This psychological thriller, inspired by the Nabokov marriage, examines identity through a lens of desire and moral dilemmas.