Sunstroke by Ivan Bunin Summary

On a steamer traveling the Volga River, a lieutenant meets a beautiful stranger and is captivated by her petite form, deep tan, and muscular body. The couple engaged in romantic talk and then disembarks in a small town where they secure a hotel room for the night and engage in a torrid sexual encounter. The lieutenant learns that the woman is from a distant town, is married, and has a child. She refuses to give her name, instead supplying the fictitious name of Marya Morevna or calling herself simply 'the princess from beyond the sea' or 'the beautiful stranger'. When the lieutenant wonders about future arrangements the woman laughs, dismisses the thought, and says they have merely been victims of sunstroke, explaining their impetuous behavior. In the morning the woman boards the steamer to continue her voyage...