Books like Unspeakable things by Kathleen Spivack

In the early 1940s, New York becomes a refuge for a cast of European intellectuals fleeing Hitler’s armies. Among them is the enigmatic Hungarian countess known as the Rat, her cousin Herbert, a former Austrian civil servant, and other displaced figures who seek to rebuild their lives in a new, uncertain world. The novel weaves surreal storytelling with the sounds of the Tolstoi String Quartet, whose members escape Europe aboard a German submarine, carrying hidden fortunes. As these characters confront betrayal, secrecy, and the haunting memories of war, they find themselves drawn into complex relationships—sexual awakenings, impossible love, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Through the eyes of Maria, Herbert’s granddaughter, the story reveals the intimate, often hidden, histories of the refugees, their pasts linked to St. Petersburg, and to the mysterious interventions of a mystic faith healer tied to Rasputin’s legacy. The book portrays the enduring spirit of a people whose dreams persist even as the spectre of a red‑hot Europe lingers.

First publish date: 2016