An award–winning "satirical political thriller follows the . . . adventures of a Russian gem cutter . . . and the consequences of his affair with a virtual stranger."(Publishers Weekly)

Professor Anfilogov, a wealthy and emotionless man, sets out on an expedition to unearth priceless rubies that no one else has been able to locate. His expedition reveals ugly truths about man's disregard for nature and the disasters created by insatiable greed. In 2017, winner of the Russian Booker Prize, Olga Slavnikova stuns with a witty, engaging, and remarkable tale of love, obsession, murder, and the lengths people will go to get what they want.

"Slavnikova's characters are magnetizing, and her crystal clear vision of a world in which 'commercial infinities' choke off humanism and art is salubriously caustic." —Booklist