The lives of three damaged souls converge in an unforeseen way in Adam Pelzman’s sensuous literary debut novel, TROIKA (Berkley Trade; April 7, 2015). From a barren corner of Siberia to the sultry nightlife of Little Havana to the tiny confines of New York’s Upper East Side, Pelzman deftly crafts a three-pronged story that explores the timeless struggle to overcome trauma, to find beauty in loss and to discover transcendent love in the most unlikely places.
At twenty-three, Perla is wise beyond her years, but that wisdom cannot save her from a sad life. A Cuban girl who came with her parents to Miami as a girl, she now works as an exotic dancer in a seedy Fort Lauderdale club. There seems to be little future for Perla but everything changes when Julian shows up one night at the club. Unlike most of the clientele, Julian seems intent on satisfying Perla’s needs more than his own, and they begin a series of dizzying rendezvous.
Perla knows nothing about Julian’s complicated past. Left in an orphanage by his drug-addicted mother after the death of his father—a legendary hunter—the Russian boy would witness human venality and his own killer instincts at a young age. Sponsored by a wealthy businessman, Julian is sent to America and adopted by an older couple. Forever an elusive outsider, he parlays his sponsor’s lessons and financial legacy into a vast fortune. But wealth cannot protect him from further tragedy that involved his beloved wife, Sophie, which has permanently altered the dynamic of their love.
Sexual hunger and emotional need keep Julian returning to Perla. But, when Sophie learns of the liaison, her reaction surprises them all. What transpires heals wounds and proves that even in suffering there can be joy.
Adam Pelzman studied Russian literature at the University of Pennsylvania and received a law degree from UCLA. Born in Seattle and raised in northern New Jersey, he has spent most of his life in New York City, where he now lives with his son.
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