Life's Indiscretions

Set in early 20th century Eastern Europe and America and inspired by true events, A Life's Indiscretions is the riveting account of a passionate young woman whose reckless pursuit of her life's dreams sets in motion a series of events that fracture and nearly destroy her entire family. Odessa, 1905: Esther, a beautiful and captivating girl from an upper-class Jewish family, develops an infatuation with her first cousin, Leon Trotsky and his revolutionary ideals. Prevailing upon her father to allow Trotsky's cell (which includes Joseph Stalin) to meet secretly in their house, he reluctantly agrees-but when Cossacks invade the home with the Czar's tacit permission and murder a family member before her eyes, her world is shattered. Once her criticism of the Czar is reported to the authorities, Esther is forced to flee, embarking on a solo journey by sea to the New World. An onboard love affair leaves the young beauty pregnant and abandoned at the port of entry. Escorted off Ellis Island by a once spurned suitor, she enters what becomes a loveless marriage. With a brood of unwanted children and trapped in a humdrum existence, Esther learns in 1917 that Trotsky will be coming to New York City to lecture and plots her escape. But her dreams of romance and revolution are only delusions, producing a trail of lies, trysts, betrayals and a succession of unforgivable mistakes she must confront if she's ever to make peace with what's left of her family-and herself.