DEBUT Early on, Einstein's theory of relativity was a little shaky and needed more work. In Kovno, Russia, Jewish physicist Vanya Abramov devises promising equations in hopes of proving them with photos of stars to be taken near Kiev during the solar eclipse on August 21, 1914. Terrible obstacles arise: powerful competitors steal his work, the tsar conscripts all able men to fight the kaiser, and a wave of pogroms threatens all Jews. His sister Miriam and her fiancé Yuri, both surgeons at the Jewish hospital, join him in his quest to meet a well-equipped American group at the eclipse site. The Jewish travelers suffer difficulties and loss. Former hedge-fund manager Barenbaum weaves breakthrough science, overwhelming anti-Semitism, a romantic triangle, and cataclysmic war in this debut that starts out slowly but soon roars like a runaway locomotive as the three face challenges while striving to retain their essential goodness. VERDICT As with Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin and David Downing's Jack McColl in two series about czarist Russia, Miri, Yuri and Vanya make an unforgettable impression. Their creator, a talented, confident new writer, transforms historical facts and traditions by adding propulsive action and convincing emotional insights. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18.]—Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA

Set in 1914 Kovno, Russia, Barenbaum's rousing debut follows two headstrong siblings striving to build their lives amid the fog and confusion of impending war. Jewish Miri Abramov and her fiancé, Yuri, both work as doctors, but Miri is often shunned (even by patients) in a society where a woman surgeon is so uncommon that some even believe she is a witch. Miri's brother, Vanya, is a brilliant physicist bent on expanding and/or disproving Albert Einstein's still unpublished theory of relativity. He believes that proof of his equations lies in the August 1914 solar eclipse, which locals see as an omen of the devil. Vanya hopes to photograph the celestial phenomenon to show that light, in fact, bends as day turns into night. He also hopes to sell a photograph to American scientists, thereby buying safe passage for him, Miri, and Yuri. But as WWI intensifies, Miri is called away to the front lines, and Vanya must risk being captured to complete his observations. Barenbaum deepens the narrative with strong secondary characters marked by competing desires, such as the passions of Russian soldier Sasha Petrov and the deviousness of Russian Kir, who is trying to steal intellectual property. Fans of Kristin Hannah will enjoy Barenbaum's exhilarating tale. (May)