Set in totalitarian Leningrad - but is doesn't matter, it could be any anti-art state, this is a rich and fast moving story of Elena, the flute player, who keeps alive the persecuted creative spirit of a generation of artists. She is the one constant in their lives, the inspiration, sexually and emotionally generous, at once a muse and a whore. According to Thomas, "This novel emerged out of fascination with Russian poets and particularly Anna Akhmatova. I wanted a generic figure, a woman who preserved the truth of the word, while chaos reigned all around her. I didn't want to individualise the characters too much, so there is very little dialogue in this novel."