Special thanks to Jenny Goldsmith, Celia Dann, Dennis Altman, Anna Dedusenko, Tamara Havloujian, Sarah Myles, Jean Porter and Jenny Stephens; also to Robert Dessaix and Maria Tumarkin for clarification of Russian language, and to Anne Mitchell and Meredith Temple-Smith for information on mandatory reporting of sexually transmitted diseases. I am grateful to Ian Lodewyckx, who generously shared his experiences of Soviet Russia, and also to Lara Gelbak, who, unstinting in her help and always creative in her approach, provided a wealth of information about Soviet life.

I am especially indebted to Constantine Danilevsky, translator, editor and friend, who gave of his time and expertise throughout the writing of the novel. And to Mark Rubbo: thank you for your friendship and support over many years.

Lastly, special thanks to my agent, Jane Novak, for her expertise and warm attentiveness, and to Henry Rosenbloom, quintessential publisher for these changing times.