House of Meetings

TherewereconjugalvisitsintheslavecampsoftheUSSR.Valiantwomenwouldtravelcontinentaldistances,overweeksandmonths,inthehopeofspendinganight,withtheirparticularenemyofthepeople,intheHouseofMeetings.Theconsequencesoftheseliaisonswerealmostinvariablytragic."HouseofMeetings"isaboutonesuchliaison.Itisatriangularromance:twobrothersfallinlovewiththesamegirl,anineteen-year-oldJewess,inMoscow,whichispoisedforpogrominthegapbetweenthewarandthedeathofStalin.Bothbrothersarearrested,andtheirrivalryslowlycomplicatesitselfoveradecadeintheslavecampabovetheArcticCircle.Asonebrother,finally,writestotheother,'Youknowwhathappenedtous?Itwasn'tjustacompendiumofverybadexperiences.Thatwasgeneralandstandard-issue.Thatwasofftherack.WhatI'mreferringtoisthedestinythatismadetomeasure.Somethingwasdesignedinsideus,blendingwithwhatwasalreadythere.Foreachofus,indifferentwaysandsettings,theworstofallpossibleoutcomes.'Ashortnovelofgreatdepthandrichness,"HouseofMeetings"findsMartinAmisattheheightofhispowers,innewandremarkablyfertilefictionalterritory.