Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy

June 24, 2013
Debut novelist Kiem’s title pays apt homage to John le Carré while delineating the roles 17-year-old ballerina Marina plays throughout this dark, complicated book. Opening in Moscow with Brezhnev’s death in November 1982, the story soon moves to the “Russia by the Sea” neighborhood of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Marina and her father escape there following the State Psychiatric Directorate’s institutionalization of her mother, Sveta, a celebrated Bolshoi dancer, who had a vision of a terrible past event the regime must keep hidden. Leaving behind a privileged lifestyle for a cramped, impoverished existence in America, Marina and her father cannot shake the suspicion and danger Sveta’s vision put them under. As Marina struggles to learn English, make a place for herself in the dance world of Lincoln Center, and acclimate to American teenage life (while keeping her identity secret), she is tormented by anxiety over her mother’s fate. The story is heavy and sometimes difficult to follow, but Kiem successfully creates the mood of the oppressive, fearful state of Communist Russia that persists outside its borders, and builds levels of intrigue that lead to a devastating climax. Ages 14–up.

The disappearance of a star ballerina in Soviet Russia shatters the life of her daughter. Bright, 17-year-old Marya is the daughter of the Bolshoi's star ballerina and her scientist husband, and she's a dancer herself. In the early 1980s Soviet Union, Svetlana Dukovskaya's celebrity translates into a comfortable life for herself and her family. Indeed, she has been called a "cultural patriot of the Motherland," and she expects Marya to follow her path. Her sudden disappearance throws Marya, and snatches of overheard conversation cause a sense of unease that is verified when Marya and her father learn Sveta has been institutionalized. Fleeing, Marya and her father settle in Brooklyn's Little Odessa, where they attempt to get news about Sveta. Marya enrolls in high school and takes classes at Julliard and also begins a relationship with Ben, a son of Russian emigres. Ben shares his love of music with her and becomes a source of strength, as her father and his newly arrived best friend seem caught up in intrigue. This is sophisticated storytelling with complex characterization and details that provide color and texture. The pacing is somewhat uneven, but there are enough twists to surprise and engage readers to the end. A compelling portrait of a young woman on the verge of adulthood, caught up in the domestic secrets of her parents and the enmity of two countries. (Historical fiction. 14 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Marina studies as a dancer in the Soviet Union's prestigious ballet corps. Her mother's role as the prima ballerina of the company gives her family a certain prestige most Russians would love. Unfortunately, living in the spotlight also means that when Sveta stumbles on some important government information, she is taken away. When Marina and her father learn that Sveta is being detained, they flee the country with not much more than the clothes on their backs, landing in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn. Overwhelmed by culture shock, they find that the Russian mafia controls most of the area. Marina and her father try to adapt; she makes some friends at school and gets an audition at Julliard while her father finds a job as a driver. Things seem better for a while, except for his continuing insistence that someone is spying on them. This compounds the troubling visions Marina continues to have; at one point she "sees" her father's death at the hands of a shadowy someone. Is it Sergei, her handsome dance partner? Could it be one of the crooks who constantly seems to be following her father? The story starts slowly but picks up speed as it moves to an unexpected conclusion. The descriptions of the former Soviet Union in the mid-1980s give some fascinating background information but might not be enough for readers who lack the historical perspective. The twists and turns, as Marina tries to decide whom she can really trust, keep readers guessing right up to the end, just as a good spy novel should.-Diana Pierce, formerly at Leander High School, TX

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2013
Grades 8-11 *Starred Review* Marya is a talented dancer like her mother, Sveta, but they are government pets in a strictly controlled society full of secrecy, where one small misstep can lead to sudden and permanent consequences. When their ruler dies and Sveta vanishes, Marya and her father plot an escape. But this is not a dystopian fantasy. Marya lives in Moscow in 1982, and like many Jews during the Cold War, she and her father immigrate to Brooklyn, settling in Little Odessa under assumed names. When Marya's uncle Gosha arrives, bringing with him a suitcase full of potentially dangerous secrets, Marya weighs the value of the information against the ease of staying under the radar, all the while doubting her father's grip on reality. But in a world where nothing makes sense, what is sanity? Despite the dire circumstances, Marya's passion for music and desire for a normal teenage life shine through. Flipping through new record albums is just as suspenseful and full of discovery as a chase scene with guns drawn. This atmospheric, suspenseful story is one of devotion and deception, innocence and independence, friendship and love, music and dance, immigration and coming of age. With its language and overall sense of unease, this debut should have multifaceted appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)