Keith Gessen Book order

An unsparing, loving account of fatherhood and the surprising, magical, and maddening first five years of a son's life. Keith Gessen, nearing forty and unprepared for fatherhood, experiences a transformative moment when his son, Raffi, is born. Suddenly, the concept of parenting becomes a vivid reality, filled with complexities and demands. Fatherhood reshapes Gessen's world, altering his perception of time and community as he navigates the challenges of raising a child. The once-irrelevant rulebooks of parenting fade away, replaced by the immediate needs of a growing child. Gessen finds himself immersed in a new landscape populated by other parents, playgrounds, and schools. As he grapples with the enchantment and terror of parenthood, he confronts the daunting task of making decisions that impact Raffi's future. The narrative explores significant themes, including the implications of choosing a school in a segregated city, instilling a sense of heritage while acknowledging its complexities, and dealing with parental anger. It also addresses the unique challenges of parenting during a pandemic. By turns hilarious and poignant, this account reflects on the profound experience of redefining one’s world through the lens of fatherhood.

'A wise, mild and enviably lucid book about a chaotic scene' - New York Times

When Andrei Kaplan’s brother Dima urges him to return to Moscow to care for their ailing grandmother, Andrei reflects on his life in New York. His girlfriend has gone silent, his dissertation adviser doubts his job prospects, and his finances are dwindling. A few months in Moscow might be just what he needs. He sublets his Brooklyn room, packs his hockey gear, and moves into his grandmother’s apartment, a gift from Stalin. She has outlived her husband and most friends, surviving communism and the tumultuous shift to capitalism, during which she lost her cherished dacha. Although she sometimes forgets who he is, she welcomes him home. Andrei navigates a changed Moscow, finding a place to play hockey, a café for emails, and making new friends, including activist Yulia. As his grandmother’s health worsens, Andrei feels increasingly disconnected from both Russia and America. He faces crucial decisions about his future and becomes involved with a group of leftists, testing his politics and loyalties. This wise and sensitive novel explores themes of exile, family, love, and fate, questioning what one owes to their birthplace and what it owes in return. Gessen’s graceful and humorous writing marks him as a significant voice in contemporary literature.

A portrait of young adulthood at the opening of the twenty-first century that charts the lives of Sam, Mark, and Keith, as they overthink their college years, underthink their love lives, and struggle through the encouragement of the women who love and despise them to find a semblance of maturity, responsibility, and even literary fame.