ONE WOMAN'S ODYSSEY THROUGH A CENTURY OF TURMOIL ... St Petersburg: one famous night of violence in the October Revolution ends the lavish life of the Romanov court forever - shattering the dreams of young Countess Zoya Ossupov. Paris: under the shadow of the Great War, emigres struggle for survival as taxi drivers, seamstresses and ballet dancers. Zoya flees there in poverty ... and leaves in glory. America: a glittering world of flappers, fast cars and furs in the Roaring Twenties; a world of comfort and cafe society that would come crashing down without warning. Zoya - a true heroine of our time - emerges triumphant from this panoramic web of history into the 80s to face challenges and triumphs.