The Beginning of Spring

In the vibrant yet politically charged Moscow of 1913, English printer Frank Reid finds his life upended when his wife, Nellie, unexpectedly leaves him and their three young children to return to England. Frank, a man of quiet routine and reasonable temperament, is left to navigate the bewildering intricacies of domesticity and single parenthood amidst the growing pre-revolutionary unrest and his struggling business. As he grapples with the mystery of Nellie's departure, he is torn between the austere, philosophical guidance of his Tolstoyan bookkeeper, Selwyn, and a forbidden, burgeoning attraction to his enigmatic Russian housemaid, Lisa. Penelope Fitzgerald masterfully crafts a story that explores themes of identity, longing, and the elusive nature of happiness, all set against a backdrop where societal norms are subtly shifting and the very fabric of life seems on the verge of profound change, leaving Frank to ponder how anyone truly knows how to live the 'right life.'