Hamlet Sarkissian’s Lovers in the Fog (Page Publishing, April 2, 2019) intermingles a search for romantic completion with a quest for human rights in Gorbachev-era Russia. While the story is set in the late 80s, it is impossible to ignore the parallels with today’s tense political climate, where echoes of Cold War rhetoric emanate from news outlets and officials debate over America’s relationship with Russia. Told from the point of view of Luke Forsythe, an American human rights attorney who goes to Russia to teach local dissidents how to reform their civil laws, the story opens with Luke embarking on a solo drive up the east coast of the United States to rendezvous with the love of his life, a mystery woman who went missing a decade before. During the drive from Key West to Montauk, the open road provides Luke with a canvas upon which he paints his memories, desires and deepest fears. His love affair, his new family and his efforts to extricate dissidents from Gorbachev’s Russia are vividly remembered and parsed so he can filter truth from reality. The story is filled with fascinating political history, real-life moments gleaned from personal experiences and valuable context for Communism and Socialism, which the media often portrays without important warnings of the dual dangers of far-left and far-right ideologies. It is a layered and complex tale with a life-changing revelation awaiting Luke at the end of his trip.