Story of dying Alik, a charismatic artist, which features his wife and two ex lovers as they attend his sick bed during the last few days of his life. Located in a small apartment in New York in the sweltering heat, which is always filled with visitors. All the real time action of the novel takes place in the apartment. The novel is in part about the women - their differences, their different relationships with this charismatic - but it's also about being an emigre. Ulitskaya describes the struggle, and sometimes the resistance, in becoming a fully fledged immigrant. The novel deals with this massive subject with a light touch - it's so plausible and poignant while being, always, wry and funny.