This is a book about people caught between home and abroad, crossing imperial boundaries in southeastern Europe at the beginning of the modern age. Through a series of life stories, which the author reconstructs with the aid of many new sources, readers discover how certain men and women defined and adapted their loyalties and affiliations, how they fashioned their identities, how they enrolled their linguistic, political, economic, and social resources to build a family and a career. Travelling between Istanbul, Vienna, Trieste, Moscow, Bucharest, or Iaşi, individuals of different backgrounds built their networks across borders, linking people and objects and facilitating cultural transfer and material and social change. The book was awarded an 'Honourable Mention' in the Society for Romanian Studies 2023 Book Prize list. 'Today, “diversity” is THE key word on social media and political movements. The author shows us how diverse the early modern people were in this region. [...] Vintilă’s book is a superb example how to engage in historiography: by careful study of the archival material, meticulous analysis, and sound judgement.' - Josette Baer (University of Zurich), in Slavic Review