One More Year

In her stunning short story debut, Krasikov hones in on the subtleties of hope and despair that writhe in the hearts of her protagonists, largely Russian and Georgian immigrants who have settled on the East Coast. In “Better Half,” 22-year-old Anya gets a protection order against her husband, Ryan, after he attacks her; he pleads for forgiveness, but, Anya realizes, “a future with Ryan would be like staying in Russia.” In “The Repatriates” a man returns to Moscow—to his wife's disappointment—intent on applying to the Russian stock market some tricks he picked up on Wall Street. In “Maia in Yonkers,” a Georgian immigrant is visited by her son, and the tensions are fierce and palpable. In “The Alternate,” Victor meets the Americanized daughter of an old love from Russia. Though many of Krasikov's stories are bleak, there are swells of promise; even Lera, whose husband leaves her for another woman, “suddenly felt nothing but the most pure-hearted compassion for him, a kindness and forgiveness that almost broke her heart.” Krasikov's prose is precise, and her stories are intelligent, complex and passionate. (Aug.)