Viktorija Tokarjewa
Derevo na kryse

Published by Diogenes as Der Baum auf dem Dach
English Title: The Tree on the Roof

Vera is an actress: blonde, blue eyes, as slim as a young birch tree. She looks delicate, but she is tough.Tough enough to survive the Siege of Leningrad when hundreds of thousands of people starved to death. In the Moscow theatre she plays mainly supporting roles, simple Russian girls. And her wants are simple too: enough to eat, a warm corner and love. And she finds all of this when she meets Alexander, ten years her junior, and an aspiring film producer. It’s true that he hadn’t wanted her to give birth to their son, but even so, they are almost a real family. Until Lena comes into their life: a screenplay writer and actually anything but a femme fatale. Vera, Alexander, Lena – a love triangle. But at its centre: Vera.