A Partial History of Lost Causes by Jennifer DuBois

I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. First off, the Russian theme. And second....the writing.
I will admit that somewhere near the second third, I lost some momentum, but that was more a result of work than the book itself.
This novel tells the story of Irina, a young woman who is a university lecturer in Massachusetts. She has seen her father die from Huntington’s disease, and genetic testing has told her she is likely to meet the same fate. While cleaning out her father’s study, she finds a letter to a Russian chess champion named Aleksandr Bezetov. Her father wants to know how can you play a game when you know it is lost from the start? Unfortunately, Aleksandr never replied. So Irina, after having broken up with her boyfriend Jonathan, decides to go to St. Petersburg to find Alexandr and the answer to the question.
The journey is not quite what she expected.
The novel deals with Russian politics and is full of philosophical musings on life and death.
I really enjoyed it and feel that the author is someone to watch.