Leaving Katya Paul Greenberg by Paul Greenberg 9780399148354, 0399148353 instant download after payment.

When Daniel, a young American man, 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 bittersweet love story set against the collapse of the Soviet Union. Daniel, a young American studying in Leningrad, sleeps with the enigmatic Katya and wonders if her cumbersome and poorly made underwear is "sexy or just Soviet?" He is, as his psychiatrist father phrases it, in his "Russian phase," and a stormy, awkward, and at times poignant relationship begins. He returns to the U.S., finds that his separation from Katya feeds his obsession, and invites her to visit him in New York. They find a small apartment, marry, and live on the proceeds of his temporary jobs. Poverty and "temporary" become the hallmarks of their lives. Searching for religion, she travels to Utah, and as she journeys deep into America, Daniel accepts a job that takes him to Russia, where his idealized views of both that country and Katya clash with the realities he faces. This debut novel offers insight into life's intimate and difficult relationships; communication and cultural differences contribute to the crumbling of Daniel and Katya's brief marriage, as do their unrealistic expectations of one another. Greenberg writes with clarity, compassion, and humor, and the recent history that forms a backdrop for this tale contributes to its relevance.