Sentenced to house arrest, Count Alexander Rostov, learns to adapt and become purposeful in his limited world. A likeable and well-developed character, the Count takes the reader on not only a journey of his growth, but also a historical and sweeping journey of Moscow in the mid-1900s. Full of elaborate descriptions, the story had a little bit of everything: historical fiction, intrigue, coming of age, suspense and romance all rolled into one compelling book.