Bronshtein in the Bronx - by Robert Littell (Paperback)

About the Book

"On Saturday, January 13, 1917, an ocean liner docks in New York Harbor. Among the disembarking emigrants is one Lev Davidovich Bronshtein-better known by his nom de guerre, Leon Trotsky. Bronshtein has been on the run for a decade, driven from his beloved Russia after escaping political exile in Siberia, his companion and two sons in tow. He lives and would die for a worker's revolution, at any cost-but is he ready to become an American? In the weeks leading up to the February Revolution that will see Lenin's Bolsheviks in power, Bronshtein haunts the streets, newspaper offices, and socialist gathering places of New York City, wrestling with the difficult questions of his personal revolutionary ideology, his place in his own family, his relationship to Lenin, and, above all, his conscience. Master of espionage fiction Robert Littell brings to fictional life the ten weeks the world-famous revolutionary spent in the Bronx in this extraordinary meditation on purpose, passion, and the price of progress"--

Book Synopsis

A wry, thought-provoking fictional portrayal of ten pivotal weeks in the life of Leon Trotsky, inspired by the Russian revolutionary's exile in New York City in 1917, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Company

January 12, 1917: An ocean liner docks in New York Harbor. Among the disembarking emigrants is one Lev Davidovich Bronshtein--better known by his nom de guerre, Leon Trotsky. Bronshtein has been on the run for a decade, driven from his beloved Russia after escaping political exile in Siberia. He lives for--and is ready to sacrifice his life for--a workers' revolution, at any cost. But is he ready to become an American?

In the weeks leading up to the February Revolution that will eventually see Lenin's Bolsheviks seize power, Bronshtein haunts the streets, newspaper offices, and socialist watering holes of New York City, wrestling with the difficult questions of his personal revolutionary ideology, his place in his own family, his relationship to Lenin, and, above all, his conscience.

Master of the espionage novel Robert Littell brings to life the world-famous revolutionist's sojourn in the Bronx in this extraordinary meditation on purpose, passion, and the price of progress.

Review Quotes

Praise for Bronshtein in the Bronx

Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2025

"[Bronshtein in the Bronx] is as mordantly funny and wickedly ironic as Littell's earlier novels. But it's also even more haunted by family ghosts, particularly that of his father, Leon."
--Sarah Weinman, The Crime Lady

"Narrated in the first person by Lev Bronshtein (Leon Trotsky's real name), the novel proceeds by dint of encounter, argument, exposition and wisecrack--a dialectic of sorts . . . Imaginatively uninhibited . . . The author has clearly done his research."
--The Wall Street Journal

"For those who enjoyed Yuri Hererra's account of Mexican hero Benito Juarez's time in New Orleans, here's another tale of revolutionary exile: Trotsky in NYC! Robert Littell is the perfect person to take on this daunting task without sacrificing story."
--Lit Hub

"Extraordinary . . . Littell's Bronshtein becomes a hero to the socialists scrambling around the Big Apple's streets as he wrestles with questions relating to his revolutionary ideology, his place in his own family, his relationship with Lenin, and his own conscience."
--AudioFile

"Wandering through socialist cafes, newsroom debates, and the bustling streets of New York, Trotsky confronts questions about his revolutionary ideals, his loyalties to Lenin, and his own family ties. With the revolution looming, he must balance his grand vision for the world with the personal sacrifices that come with it. Brought to vivid life by Robert Littell, this gripping novel is a fresh and fictionalized look at a little-known chapter in Trotsky's life."
--Unpacked

"Excellent."
--Hey Alma

"[A] clever novel, satirical, ribald, and entertaining."
--Historical Novels Review

"Lively . . . [Bronshtein in the Bronx] give[s] us a picture of a committed revolutionary who spent years exiled from Russia."
--New York Labor History Association

"Charming . . . An air of irreverence pervades this account, which is full of winking anachronisms that poke fun at Trotsky and his fellow idealists . . . Littell's fans will love this playful swerve."
--Publishers Weekly

"Colorful . . . Littell creates a well-rounded personality in Trotsky."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Riveting . . . Littell captures his subject masterfully and conveys the famed revolutionary's complex nature . . . While the mission is serious, the narrative hits humorous high notes with the dialogue between Trotsky and his nemesis, Leon Litzky. Litzky's presence is only subconscious, but Trotsky's interactions with him offer a window into a brilliant yet troubled mind."
--BookReporter.com

Praise for Robert Littell

"Compulsive reading from start to finish."
--The Boston Globe

"Hugely entertaining . . . A serious look at how our nation exercises power . . . Popular fiction at its finest."
--The Washington Post Book World

"Littell is so gifted a creator of intelligent entertainment that I could give away almost everything and still not spoil your pleasure in reading."
--NPR's All Things Considered

"A ripping good yarn--entertaining, chilling and insightful . . . Littell is great about nailing the details that make his stories convincing."
--Newsweek

"[Littell's] variety of genre fiction deals with one of the oldest themes in Western art, the wavering line between illusion and reality."
--Chicago Tribune

"If Robert Littell didn't invent the American spy novel, he should have."
--Tom Clancy

About the Author

Robert Littell is the author of twenty-one other highly acclaimed novels, many about the Cold War and the Soviet Union, including his masterwork, New York Times bestseller The Company, and the Los Angeles Times Book Award winner for best mystery-thriller Legends. An American born in Brooklyn, Robert Littell now lives in France.