The lyrical first novel of youth and love by acclaimed modernist master Gaito Gazdanov, author of The Spectre of Alexander Wolf Two old friends meet nightly in Paris, trading conversational barbs and manoeuvring around submerged feelings. Throughout the ten years of their separation, thoughts of Claire lingered persistently in Kolya's mind. As the imagined romance finally becomes real, Kolya is thrown into recollections of formative moments from his youth in Russia, from his solitary early years through military school and service in the White Army in the Civil War, all leading to this union with Claire. The first novel by the celebrated Russian master Gaito Gazdanov, An Evening with Claire is a lyrical, finely crafted portrait of a lost innocence and a vanished era.

The lyrical first novel of youth and love by acclaimed modernist master Gaito Gazdanov, author of The Spectre of Alexander Wolf Two old friends meet nightly in Paris, trading conversational barbs and manoeuvring around submerged feelings. Throughout the ten years of their separation, thoughts of Claire lingered persistently in Kolya's mind. As the imagined romance finally becomes real, Kolya is thrown into recollections of formative moments from his youth in Russia, from his solitary early years through military school and service in the White Army in the Civil War, all leading to this union with Claire. The first novel by the celebrated Russian master Gaito Gazdanov, An Evening with Claire is a lyrical, finely crafted portrait of a lost innocence and a vanished era.

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Claire Wilson was born in 1940 when little was known about the congenital defect known today as Intersex. Her father refused to accept the new baby, seeing “him” as a poofter. Consequently, the baby was medically mutilated and raised as a boy in the hope that “he” would turn out as a normal man and save “his” father's revulsion and shame. Claire grows up not knowing who or what she is until she arrives in her teens. Her mother explains how she was born and Claire's world takes on new meaning. She decides to live as “William” fearing her father's anger and rejection of her as useless. Claire as “William” marries Sharon and they have two children. Trying all the time to live the life of a man tormented her. So she eventually decides to tell her spouse and she is rejected by her family. So, more trauma is introduced to her life. Thankfully, her doctor is very supportive of her and manages to have the UK National Health Service commit funds for Gender Reassignment Surgery. Subsequently, the surgery she is to undergo, unknown to Claire, is the start of yet more trauma.

Driven into hiding by a murderer in an era when women had few options, could she survive? Chicago was a violent city. Could she keep her friends safe? Would she ever feel safe to love again?