Review by Booklist Review
Kim's (Beasts of a Little Land, 2021) intimate sophomore title spotlights the contemporary world of (mostly) Russian ballet through the beginnings, triumphs, downfall, and (scheduled) reappearance of ballerina Natalia ("Natasha") Leonova. Without any previous training, Natasha auditions for and is accepted into a prestigious ballet academy. "Everyone--the girls at school, my teachers, even Mama--thought I was nothing," she realizes. But she distinguishes herself as "altogether too unique," becoming a prima ballerina at Bolshoi, then a danseuse étoile de l'Opéra de Paris. Intertwined with her meteoric rise, of course, are her personal challenges, the complicated relationships with her single mother, a missing father, friends, lovers, and enemies. An accident derails her Paris career, and by the time she returns to St. Petersburg, she's addicted to pills, alcohol, and maybe all that endless pain. But after two years off stage, her "big comeback performance" looms. Can she? Will she? Kim, who studied ballet, offers a sweeping portrait of an artist-as-a-young-dancer rich in all the intricacies of perfecting art and performance against relentless odds physical, emotional, and so deeply personal.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kim (Beasts of a Little Land) weaves a dramatic tale of a Russian ballerina facing intense competition over the course of her career. Natalia Leonova, now in her mid-30s and living in Paris, hasn't danced for two years after an unexplained accident. During a visit to her hometown of St. Petersburg, she runs into Dmitri Ostrovsky, an old enemy, who offers her the lead role in Giselle at the Mariinsky, but she'll need much physiotherapy first. Kim alternates the present-day narrative with Natalia's origin story, beginning with her successful audition at seven at the Vaganova ballet school, where she finds a happy home away from her seamstress single mother. At 18, she makes it into the Mariinsky company as a corps de ballet member. Later, after beating superstar Alexander Nikuliu at Moscow's International Ballet Competition, the two thrill audiences as dance partners and find happiness as lovers until the revelation of an explosive secret, which Kim reveals late in the novel along with the details of Natalia's accident. Some of the transitions between past and present can be confusing, but Kim offers an illuminating look into the backstage life of a ballerina and her dedication to her art. This will land with readers. Agent: Jody Kahn, Brandt & Hochman Literary. (Nov.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Riveting novel of a prima ballerina's tumultuous rise, fall, and potential return. Kim's bold second novel propels the reader into the competitive world of contemporary Russian ballet. The book begins with a crisis: Former prima ballerina Natalia Leonova is a mess. Addicted to pain meds and sleeping pills--which she's washing down with vodka--Natalia has returned home to St. Petersburg to attempt a comeback. A disastrous accident has prematurely ended her star turn at the Paris Opéra, but even worse than the injuries to her feet are her psychic wounds and loss of confidence. As Natalia struggles during rehearsals, she reminisces about her past as a protégé of the famed Mariinsky Ballet school and company. The reader is plunged into the rivalries between dancers, lovers, friends, and even nations as Natalia rises through the ranks. Although born into poverty and raised by a single mother, Natalia has an extraordinary gift: She can jump higher than any other ballerina. Reflecting on her audition, Natalia recalls, "It was the force of all I'd been suppressing; I felt like I could reach my hands and tap the ceiling if I wished. The board members were now pointing in my direction. Murmurs and gasps.That's a jumper. I sprang even higher." Kim weaves in plot threads involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the tabloid press, and celebrity parties, as well as complications related to various expressions of sexual desire to show that no form of art can exist separately from the complexity of life. At times Natalia seems extremely naïve about the ways of the world outside ballet; refreshingly, the novel never punishes her for her excellence or her ambition. This is another brilliant page-turner from Kim, whose first novel,Beasts of a Little Land (2021), was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Written in sumptuous prose, Kim's novel is a feast for the senses. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
