Leon Trotsky’s infamy preceded him by the time he reached the United States in early 1917. Since he had been at the forefront of a failed revolution in Russia to overthrow the czar, he was targeted for lifetime exile in Siberia.

However, Trotsky managed to escape and left with his mistress, Natalya, and two children. He had resided in other less hostile countries in Western Europe, but his political activism led him to become persona non grata and on the move once again. By the time his ship docked in New York Harbor, he and his brood hoped for more than a brief respite from their itinerant lifestyle.

Trotsky’s paperwork identified him as Lev Bronshtein, but the man named John Edgar Hoover called him Trotsky. Trotsky and his nuclear family are granted entry into the US despite Hoover’s wishes. Hoover is suspicious of Trotsky’s motives and believes he plans to foment revolution in the US. Despite the initial brusque introduction, Trotsky is greeted by associates who want to assist a comrade in adjusting to his new surroundings.

"Littell captures his subject masterfully and conveys the famed revolutionary's complex nature... [His] speculative novel also serves as a quasi-prequel to the fascinating espionage tales he’s been writing for over 50 years."

Since his abrupt departure from Russia, Trotsky has found employment as a press correspondent. In New York, he is hired to write for Novy Mir, a Socialist paper. When not working, Trotsky is usually meeting with socialists and discussing the progress in Russia. Some believe that patience is needed for revolutionary change, while others hold that it must come about quickly, even utilizing violence. When Trotsky speaks in front of crowds, he can command an audience. However, he is soon targeted for greater scrutiny by the government.

Trotsky’s sojourn in New York is not limited to stoking revolutionary fervor as he discovers after meeting Fred Fedora, a vivacious journalist from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He begins a torrid affair with the leftist writer but risks Natalya’s wrath. His residence grows precarious by the day as Hoover and others want to expel him (if not worse) for his speeches, and Russia heads towards a bloody uprising.

BRONSHTEIN IN THE BRONX is the riveting new work from the always entertaining pen of Robert Littell, who this time ponders Trotsky's 10-week habitation. As Europe lingers in a calamitous war, Russia’s future hangs by a thread, and Trotsky pines for a triumphant return home to lead the next revolution. Littell captures his subject masterfully and conveys the famed revolutionary's complex nature --- as a family man who can’t keep from stepping out on his paramour, a charismatic leader who worries about his position being usurped by upstarts like Josef Stalin.

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 but troubled mind. Littell’s speculative novel also serves as a quasi-prequel to the fascinating espionage tales he’s been writing for over 50 years.