In Gary Shteyngart's 'Our Country Friends,' a group of friends and new acquaintances retreat to a country house in upstate New York to weather the uncertainties of a global pandemic. As the seasons change and they navigate life's upheavals, their interwoven stories of love, friendship, betrayal, and the search for meaning unfold with humor and poignancy. The house becomes a microcosm of human emotions and transformations, graced by a colorful cast, including a Russian novelist, a psychiatrist, a K-pop-obsessed child, and others whose dynamics shift with the arrival of a charismatic movie star. Shteyngart crafts a contemporary tale that is as timeless as it is immediate, capturing the essence of connection in a world that feels increasingly disconnected.