Lost Roses: A Novel

America has finally entered the war, and the Russian tsar has abdicated. Eliza continues to reach out for information about Sofya but learns nothing. A refugee arrives at Eliza’s apartment, a princess on the run. They discuss Eliza’s new plan to have Russian refugees in Paris make dolls to sell for the relief efforts. Eliza’s mother explains that they’ll soon be going back to their country house, which has been renovated, and the princess decides to go with them. Eliza and her mother decide to invite more struggling refugees along so they don’t have to suffer in decrepit neighborhoods. Peg arrives to tell Eliza that one of the refugees is very sick. They go together to the lodging house, where a woman named Nancy is suffering from the same illness that killed Henry. Having learned from her previous mistakes, Eliza is able to take care of the girl and save her. Eliza’s mother invites her to the house as well.

The mob living in Sofya’s house leads the family outside to murder them. However, Taras steps in and claims they’re more useful alive. Instead, he invites all the villagers to come live in the house. Varinka secretly brings the family a loaf of bread. She speaks with Luba, who asks Varinka for help. Together they plan to leave with Max. Varinka frees her, and Luba promises that they will meet later that night.

After Sofya is freed, she hitchhikes her way to St. Petersburg—now called Petrograd—to find her extended family living at Alexander Palace. There she meets her cousins Olga and Tatiana and their mother the tsarina. They are living under house arrest, though they are comfortable. They show her letters that have arrived from Eliza and Afon. The tsarina tells Sofya everything will be taken care of, but Olga privately tells her the tsarina does not understand the gravity of their situation. She explains that all the guards have fled and no one is coming to help.

Eliza and her new friends settle into her country home. She speaks with Nancy about the situation in Russia; Nancy reveals that Sofya’s home has been attacked. Eliza is planning a welcome party for the other refugees, and a shipment of handmade dolls is coming to be sold. Eliza feels her work is bringing her closer to Sofya. She, her mother Nancy, and Caroline all go into the nearby town for supplies, and there they meet Merrill’s fiancée Anna and another local woman, Electra, who is a malicious gossip. The two women and their friends express concern and disdain for the refugees. Caroline speaks up and defends them, to Eliza’s pride. However, she worries there will be social repercussions from the conflict.

Varinka packs for her escape with Max, gathering clothes that belonged to Sofya. She goes to collect her mother and Max, only to learn that Max is missing. Varinka and her mother go to meet Luba, but she’s not there. Soon after, Taras and Vladi arrive with Luba, having caught her as she attempted to escape. Luba lets Varinka’s mother take Max, and Vladi leads Luba outside. Taras locks Varinka in a room with him and punishes her by assaulting her and branding her face with a metal iron.

Sofya rereads her letters from Eliza and Afon. Much of Afon’s letter has been redacted. Olga and Tatiana reveal that they’re “making armor” (228) by sewing their jewelry into their clothes. They come up with a plan to send Sofya to the vet with Tatiana’s dog, claiming he is ill. They give him chili powder, which makes him sneeze. Sofya dresses in a maid’s uniform, and she and Tatiana talk their way past the guard so Sofya can escape.

Eliza visits her country club in an attempt to gain more support for her refugee efforts. It is her first visit since Henry’s death, and her appearance attracts attention. Richard Merrill is there with Anna Gabler, who tells her that her membership has been revoked now that she is a widow. Eliza leaves and Merrill follows her, accusing her of being jealous. He tells her that the night he visited her and Henry, they never played tennis at all; it was a coverup so Henry could see a travel agent about his upcoming holiday with Eliza. Eliza apologizes for blaming Merrill, and he admits he was heartbroken over her earlier rejection. As they become close, Anna enters and asks Eliza to leave. That evening, Merrill arrives at Eliza’s house and tells her that he doesn’t love Anna, and that he is enlisting in the war.

Varinka contemplates her dire situation. Max is sleepless and “camps out” on the floor, waiting for Sofya. Taras agrees to let Max stay and brings Varinka Sofya’s emerald necklace, which he has bartered from Mrs. A after convincing her the emeralds were fake. Varinka and Taras go to Petrograd, where he has a political meeting. Varinka waits in their hotel room and goes through a trunk of clothes a noblewoman has left behind. She discovers a feminine magazine with instructions on how to kiss. Suddenly, a group of bandits arrives and demands Varinka’s papers. When she has none to offer, they accost her. She’s saved by the appearance of a handsome man, Radimir, who encourages them to leave. He then invites Varinka to join him on the town.

Sofya drops the dog at the veterinarian's and then makes her way back home. She discovers her estate in disrepair, but a single rose is left behind: one of Mr. Gardener’s Katharina Zeimets. Sofya takes the rose with her. She goes through a servants’ door into the kitchen and meets a man who mistakes her for a delivery driver. She encounters the maid, Raisa, and fears she will be exposed.

Eliza receives a letter from Merrill, who’s begun his flight training. He includes a drawing of the view from his plane in flight. A police officer arrives to tell Eliza and her mother that a complaint has been made about the refugee guests; they are violating laws about the number of people who may occupy a household. He says Electra and her friends are threatening to have him fired if the issue isn’t addressed. They reassure him that it will be dealt with. Eliza meets Nancy in the kitchen, and Nancy invites her to share a glass of homemade vodka. Eliza tells her about Henry, and Nancy tells Eliza about her own lost family: Her son was killed for trying to protect his family from bandits. Along her journey, she lost the rest of her family, and now she tries to help others. Nancy is grateful for Eliza’s help and gives her a gift of her mother’s silver religious icon. The next day, Eliza puts away her black mourning clothes and dresses in white for her refugee welcome party. Soon Electra and Anna arrive, threatening to have everyone arrested. Eliza’s mother steps up and delivers a moving speech to the local guests about their own immigrant ancestors. She entreats them to accept change and embrace other cultures. Several of the guests offer to house refugees at their homes.

Varinka joins Radimir at a restaurant, where he meets some of his friends to discuss art and politics. All three of them are Jewish, and Radimir is critical of the tsar’s treatment of Jewish people. As they eat and drink, Radimir comments on Varinka’s burnt face, and she admits she’s never been kissed. He offers her tips for successful kissing. They leave quickly so Varinka can be back before Taras returns, and they arrange to meet in Paris.

Raisa helps gather supplies for Sofya as she evades capture. Although Raisa encourages Sofya to leave quickly, Sofya searches for Max. She finds him in Agnessa’s room with Varinka’s mother, who gives Sofya the baby and tells her to take him away. However, Varinka arrives and stops her. Sofya tries to reason with her, but Varinka calls for help and Sofya is forced to flee. As she leaves with her horse, she discovers the burnt bodies of her father, Agnessa, and Luba at the entrance to the house. She vows to go to Paris and take revenge.