Sometimes life throws curveballs; sometimes it seems the whole ball field is hurling your way. So it was for Count Alexander Rostov, a “Former Person,” a few years after the Russian Revolution. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles tells of the count’s life imprisonment in Moscow’s splendid Hotel Metropol (in an attic room, not the luxurious suite he already occupied). If he leaves the hotel, he will be shot—so he stays. (Except for one time…) The Count has a choice. He could be miserable and become a bitter man, or embrace the situation and make the best of it. Opting for the latter, he creates a remarkable and fulfilling life. A 9-year old girl befriends him, and her daughter later saves his life. The novel, spanning 30 years, is brilliantly written, rich in history, philosophy, love, friendship, suspense. A must read the new year if you haven’t done so. (We ate apple slices and blinis with smoked salmon and crème fraiche, and Russian Teacakes.)