In a contested, lawlessregion between Moldova and Ukraine known as Transnistria, a tightly knit groupof "honest criminals" live according to strict codes of ritualized respect andfierce loyalty. In a voice utterly compelling and unforgettable, Nicolai Lilin, born and raised within this exotic subculture, tells the story of his moraleducation outside the bounds of "society" as we know it, where men upholdvalues with passion-and often by brute force.