In a Russia where the Decembrists' rebellion was successful and theTrans-Siberian railroad was completed before 1854, Sasha Trubetskaya wantsnothing more than to have a decent debut ball in St. Petersburg. But her aunt'sfeud with the emperor lands Sasha at university, where she becomes one of itsfirst female students -- an experiment, she suspects, designed more toprove female unsuitability for such pursuits than offer them education. Thepressure...