God Lives in St Petersburg

Firstly I must admit that the primary appeal of this book to me was the cover - yes, I purchased and read this book on the basis of the cover, and the name - but isn't it great?

Six short stories by author Tom Bissell, all related to the theme of young Americans adjusting to their situations in Central Asia. The protagonists in each story end up acting differently than they would perhaps expect of themselves in these wartorn, ravaged, desolate or just neglected settings.
Despite being published in 2006 (although written earlier - 1997-2002 according to the Author note), they feel contemporary and relevant. They varied a little in how much I enjoyed them, but were generally well crafted stories.

In the order in which I enjoyed them most:
The Ambassador's Son - leveraging his fathers position, and living it up as a big fish in a small pond, Alec meets a young off the rails missionary and sets about corrupting him further with a trip to a seedy bar. 5/5

Death Defier - Two journo's in Afghanistan must leave the city they have been based to move to a safer area. Their car breaks down and circumstances require them to accept assistance from a man who offers to take them to the next village. 4/5

Aral - An American scientist travels with her team to the Aral Sea for a research project. Her colleagues are struck down by illness and she must proceed alone, to her destination, where she is apprehended by a KGB agent 4/5

God Lives in St Petersburg - A teacher battles with the moral corruption he is living, embroiled with a lover, and a complex situation with his students. 3/5

There were two other stories - Expensive Trips to Nowhere and Animals of our Lives, which just didn't old my attention or work for me. They were 2/5.

This wraps up to being between 3 and 4 stars overall, rounded up to 4.