Russian Winter: A Novel

Written by Daphne Kalotay

Narrated by Kathleen Gati

“A soaring debut novel. An elegant, compelling puzzle of family, memory and solitude that brings to life modern-day Boston and postwar Russia through a profound love story. Graceful, moving, and unexpected.” —Matthew Pearl, New York Times bestselling author of The Dante Club 

In Russian Winter, a famed ballerina’s jewelry auction in Boston reveals long-held secrets of love and family, friendship and rivalry, harkening back to Stalinist Russia. Called “tender, passionate, and moving” by Jenna Blum, the New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us, Russian Winter is a perfect choice for fans of the novels of Ann Patchett (Bel Canto), and Ian McEwan (Atonement).

When Nina Revskaya puts her remarkable jewelry collection up for auction, the former Bolshoi Ballet star finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland, and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed her life half a century earlier. It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of dance and fell in love, and where, faced with Stalinist aggression, a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape to the West.

Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But now Drew Brooks, an inquisitive associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor who believes Nina's jewels hold the key to unlocking his past, begin to unravel her story—setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Sep 7, 2010
• ISBN: 9780062012371

Daphne Kalotay

Daphne Kalotay is the author of the award-winning novel Russian Winter, which has been published in twenty languages, and the fiction collection Calamity and Other Stories. She has received fellowships from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, and Yaddo, and has taught at Boston University, Skidmore College, Grub Street, and Middlebury College. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Reviews for Russian Winter

[bogopea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Artfully interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the behind the scenes tumult of theatre life and the transformative power of art, Kalotay's luminous debut novel captures joy, uncertainty ad terror of lives powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in the presence of evil, suspicion and fear the human spirit reaches for transcendence and love."It's a love story (actually several love stories) wound around the auction of a former Bolshoi ballerina's gem/jewelry collection in current Boston. Easy, and captivating.

[Stephanie Upton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really more like 3 1/2 stars but not quite 4...ballet info interesting, would have liked ill more...plot ok and characters basically interesting and likeable

[Elena Hobbs-Minor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story took me on a long journey. At times, I felt lost. Still I didn’t want the journey to end. I found myself rereading the last chapters. Every time I did, I seemed to find another gem hidden in the storyline that I had missed.

[anglophile65 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was 125 pgs in and cut my losses. Didn't captivate me. Too much detail about academia that was not of interest to me.

[bookmagic_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nina Revskaya is the former Russian ballerina known as "The Butterfly". Now 79 and in a wheelchair, living in Boston, she has decided to auction off her famous jewelry collection and donate the proceeds to the Boston Ballet. But Nina's decision is not so much an act of charity as it is a way of letting go of her past.This beautifully told story takes us to Nina's past in the Soviet Union, as a dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet, her marriage to a Russian poet, Viktor Elsin, and her eventual defection to the West. In the present, we meet Drew Brooks who works at the auction house and digs into the history of Nina's jewelry. We have Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian studies, who donates to the auction an amber pendant that seems to be part of a set that is in Nina's possession. The past story is told from Nina's eyes, the present from Nina, Drew, and Grigori and the mystery and secrets unfold in pieces.It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but I then I was drawn into the world of these characters and this poignant story.I especially enjoyed reading about Nina's time in the Soviet Union, a dedicated ballerina who tries to be oblivious the changes around her in a country full of fear, where the secret police are watching and listening to everyone. Nina in the present is bitter and lonely. Drew ended a marriage that left her unsatisfied and now has a new life, one her mother doesn't understand. Grigori is still mourning the loss of his wife two years after her death and is desperate to speak to Nina but she refuses.I loved the ballet scenes, the mystery and history of the amber jewelry, a look at the Soviet Union in transition, everything!The more I read, the more I loved this novel. It is part mystery, part historical fiction, with well developed characters, a moving story, and great writing. I highly recommend this book.my rating 4.5/5

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up at our local big used book sale, rather randomly, and finally decided to pick it up.I had not heard of this book (pub 2010), though undoubtedly did a quick GR search before buying the hardback. But this was much more than I expected.There are two main storylines--the past, in 1950s USSR, with the Bolshoi ballet, several of the dancers, and their boyfriends/husbands/mothers. Then we have present-day Boston, when one of those dancers, Nina, elderly and wheelchair bound, decides to auction her jewelry collection to raise funds for a local ballet initiative.Then, a matching piece is donated anonymously. We know who it is, and so does she. We meet Grigori, adopted in Russia and a child, now a professor of languages at a local university. Drew, in charge of research of the pieces for the auction house. Their associates. And Nina's associates in the 1950s.These storylines fit together very well, but the links and connections all work. Nothing is too close, nor too far-fetched. This is also as close to romance as I ever get, and it was well done.

[linda.marsheells · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really did enjoy this book, even tho I read the 400 plus pages in small doses. Particularly when I began the book, I had to get accustomed to the back and forth flow of the story and characters. The storyline revolves around the post WW2 life of a ballerina, Nina-her family and friends, and flows between her early life in Russia and her present life in the USA. A wide cast of characters is involved, once you get everyone in place the book does become a faster read.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My book club chose this for our October 2019 read. It is another example of book clubs exposing readers to unknown books. This book was published in 2010 and seems to have gotten a lot of positive press but I had never heard of it. And it is the kind of book that really appeals to me containing history and mysterious circumstances together with a modern day romance. I'm glad I read it.Nina Revskaya was a ballet dancer with the famed Bolshoi Ballet during the Stalin era in the USSR. Her talent and hard work caused her to rise through the ranks becoming a prima ballerina while still very young. We know from the present day story that she defected from the USSR eventually settling in Boston. Grigori Solodin was also born in the USSR and now lives in Boston where he is the head of the Department of Foreign Languages in some university. Grigori was brought up with the knowledge that he was adopted and that his mother was a ballerina. When he first came to Boston he contacted Nina and tried to get her to look at some documents and pictures that had been left for him by his birth mother. Nina refused to have any further contact with him but Grigori believes that she must be his mother. When he sees a notice that all of Nina's jewellery is going to be auctioned to raise funds for the Boston Ballet he believes that a recent letter he wrote to her must be the reason she took this step. He decides to donate an amber pendant that also came to him from his birth mother at the same auction. Drew Brooks from the auction house wants to know more about the pieces to fill out the auction catalogue. As the present day story unfolds we follow Nina's remembrances of her time in the USSR. NIna is now wheelchair bound but she remembers well the physicality of her life as a ballerina. She also remembers Viktor Elsin, a poet, who became her lover and then her husband. And she remembers the terror of living through the Stalin era when anyone could be arrested and imprisoned. These passages were the most interesting part of the book for me.Between each chapter one lot from the auction is detailed. Pay close attention to these descriptions because they will reappear in the story, sometimes quite unexpectedly.Recommended for people who enjoy a good historical mystery.

[carolee888 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I did enjoy reading about the ballet training but while I was reading this in the hospital. I kept having unpleasant memories of my Russian (retired) ballerina who was exactly in what she expected of our class for our grade and yet she shipped coming to class for all but the first class. Not all Russian ballerinas are not alike because not all human are. But as I was reading this book, my bad memories came storming back to interrupt the book. I thought that the book was very slow paced at the beginning and no matter how I tried, I could not interested in her life. It is a shame, I remember going to that Russian building in the New Word' s fair and buying a book about the Bolshoi Ballet and reading it and re-reading it. I still have the book. I have always been interested in Russian ballet.Drew Brooks was getting older and like the main character of this book, Nina Revakaya loved her privacy and wanted to just shut out the world and enjoy being alone. But she wanted to solve the mysteries behind Nina's collection of jewelry. I will not tell you the story but I do hope that if you decide to read it, you do not have any bad Russian ballerina memories to disturb you throughout the book!

[bookmarque · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stories that revolve around a physical object always intrigue me. The hidden history a thing has been a silent witness to can be a great way to tell a story and fire the imagination so that’s why I picked up this book which hinges on a woman selling her jewelry collection. For the most part it delivers, but it was a little prolonged in places where the pacing just dragged. It does have a good sense of mystery and Nina’s dramatic past. While I can understand where she’s coming from, Nina is a jerk and continues to be a jerk because she can and people let her. She’s content that she’s revered and respected, but doesn’t care if no one likes her. She uses her history as an excuse to deny things to people, be rude and keep herself at a distance. I didn’t want to spend time with her, but finished the book so I could know what happened. It wasn’t wholly predictable and had some good moments of surprise. Nina’s past and Gregori’s present came together nicely.

[inorris-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like historical fiction I would recommend this book. It has some intrique, a love story, and some history about life in Russia after WWII.

[jjaylynny · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Surprisingly well-constructed historical novel set in Stalinist Russia, with the added evocative setting of the Bolshoi Ballet. Either the structure (letting slip the slightest clues at exactly the right times) was really smart, or I'm a really dumb reader.

[susanbevans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever started a review thinking that there is no possibly way to describe such a fantastic book? I have been thinking about this book for days, trying to put my reading experience into words. Russian Winter is one of those novels you simply savor up to and beyond the last words on the page. I found myself utterly captivated by Nina's story and unable to put it down until I had discovered all of her secrets.

In Russian Winter, Daphne Kalotay has done a beautiful job of creating vivid and fascinating characters and a story full of mystery and of love and loss. The writing is elegant in its simplicity and manages to completely overwhelm and entertain the reader. Russian Winter is one of the best books I've read in 2010. Read it - you won't be disappointed.

[far2manybooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A historical romance set during Stalinist Russia. The author is able to reveal a lot about this oppressive period without being too heavy handed. This makes for an interesting light intro into life in that time.

The story is a bit predictable but somehow satisfying for this genre.

[karenajeff · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was so promising, but in the end it fell flat, like stale champagne.

[ellenmeeropol · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED this book - the ballet, the auction world, the complex and believable characters. Highly recommend!

[lindap69 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the story, the continual twists in plot and the different points of view - a good read

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My own skills lack to sum up this novel in the way that it deserves. This is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a while. The story was lovely in its simplicity, every description dripping with meaning without being overly sentimental or pedantic. The whole way through I marveled at the language. Despite its length, the book moved at a swift pace. The plot was not one of action, but still I hardly wanted to put the book down. This is masterful writing.

The portrayal of Nina's past in Soviet Russia was fantastic. I have studied the Soviet Union quite a bit, particularly through the writings of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Kalotay did a good job portraying the way Soviet citizens likely felt about their lives. She shows the reverence for Stalin, even in the worst times. Never once does Nina see him as anything but a savior; the problems come from others and he does not know. Shocking though that may be, anything else would probably have been inaccurate. The faith that she had in the country and the small things that lead her to question that are done well. Kalotay confronts rough issues with subtlety, with no overarching need to make her point clear by bashing you over the head with it.

I recommend this one extremely highly (in case that wasn't clear from the above). Do yourself a favor and read this.

[elysianfield_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars

Former ballerina Nina Revskaya has decided to auction off her jewelry collection. Once a prima ballerina for the Bolshoi Ballet now she is confined to a wheelchair.Growing up in Soviet Russia under Stalin, she has learned to keep her secret and thought to herself and doesn’t like to speak of her past.

Then an anonymous donor gives the auction an Amber necklace, a piece that seems to match Nina’s jewelry. The donor is Grigori Solodin who got the necklace from his adoptive parents. He thinks Nina is the key for solving who his parents is, but Nina isn’t cooperating and refuses speaking to him. Drew Brooks is the representative from the auction house and she’s trying to learn more of Russia because her grandfather came from there. Drew and Grigori tries to find out where the necklace came from and getting to know each other.

I had so much trouble writing this review and I’m still not quite sure what to think of the book.

I liked it when I first started it, then I didn’t like it, then it was better again and then not so good. It just kept changing. There was few times I thought of giving up and the only reason I didn’t was because this was for review. And I can’t really point what the problem was. Maybe because besides Nina I just didn’t connect with the characters.

I liked Nina and the best parts was the scenes in the past with her. It would have been pretty scary living in Stalin’s Russia! But I didn’t find Grigori and Drew interesting enough and present day Nina was just mean. And the switches of povs got on my nerves pretty soon. It changed multiple times in one chapter - between characters and between times. Just made my head hurt and annoyed.

Didn’t like the ending either; it just ended suddenly and I felt like “Is this it?” And so many things were left unanswering.

Can’t help but feel disappointed and I really wanted to like this. It had very interesting topic but it just couldn’t carry it through. I was going between giving this 2 or 3 but since I thought of giving up I’m going with 2. But because I liked the past times I’ll give extra half points.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absorbing novel set in post World War II Soviet Union in which Nina rises to become the star of the Bolshoi and the circumstances around her eventual defection to the west. each chapter is framed by a piece of her jewelry which is Described from the auction catalog which in her old age she is donating to the Boston Ballet. the competing story line of Grigori, and his attempt to get close to Nina is also intriguing.

[2lz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay was a very absorbing book, and it is just the kind of book that I like. The book alternates between the present and the past. It starts in the present with an older Nina who is in a wheelchair. She was a prominent Russian Ballerina and she is living in Boston. She wants to auction off her jewelry and the proceeds are to go to the Boston Ballet Company. Aging Nina is not a very happy woman. She reflects back on her life in Russia from when she was a young girl. Every chapter (and they are longer than I normally like) starts off with an auction lot number with a description of the piece of jewelry being auctioned and the auction price. Each piece of jewelry holds a memory for Nina, and the story unfolds through these memories.

[diefledermaus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great first novel, well-written, highly addictive, with interesting characters and an involving plot. I found one of the relationships to be rather predictable and there were a couple issues with the plotting – the ending was rushed and some revelations could have been handled better – but overall this is a good read. I enjoyed reading about ballet in the Soviet times but hoped for more specific details though this is probably because I recently read a history of ballet. Nina Revskaya, a former star dancer for the Soviet Union, lives in Boston in the mid-2000’s and mysteriously decides to sell off her jewels. In the present, her life collides with Drew Brooks, a dedicated woman who works for the auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor who studies the work of Nina’s husband, the poet Viktor Elsin, who works with Drew to uncover the history of the jewels. Nina recalls her past – her work at the Bolshoi, her meeting and marriage with Viktor, professional friendships and rivalries, and the uneasy and repressive atmosphere of Moscow just before the death of Stalin.The novel is structured as many others – with a past section and present section. The author did a good job of developing the modern-day part as many books that utilize this structure have a dull present section. In fact, initially it was more compelling as Kalotay explores Nina’s routine but not unhappy life and the careers and lives of Drew and Grigori. Nina’s past life starts with her meeting Viktor and at first I was concerned that Nina would be defined only by her relationship but the pair quickly marries and Nina faces a new set of issues - communal living with her condescending, formerly wealthy mother-in-law, a new distance with her own mother, rivalries with an old friend Vera, also a ballerina, and the demands of life as a dancer. Nina and Viktor have some happy times with Vera and Viktor’s friend, the irreverent Jewish composer Gersh, but eventually several members of their circle find themselves targeted by bureaucrats and the secret police. Nina’s rise through the ranks of dancers and individual performances are given a lot of space as well. However, I was hoping to read more about Soviet ‘tractor ballets’ or pro-Communist productions of classics. The ballets that are described are the standard French-Russian 19th c. classics – Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppelia. A couple popular Soviet ballets are briefly mentioned but there are no descriptions given. Many of the characters face persecution but the issues are not specifically related to Soviet control of the ballet which I thought would have been interesting to read about. Nina’s work-life conflict, the pressure to inform on others and the restrictions on the ballerinas to avoid Western influence could be issues found in any sort of job at the time. The competition and awkwardness that Nina faces after she becomes a prima ballerina could easily be part of any ballet story. Many actual defectors felt stifled in their art but Nina defects mostly for personal reasons. I won’t fault the book for not covering these topics though I was a bit disappointed.The present-day story was engaging as well. I got involved in the lives of Grigori and Drew though there’s an extremely obvious romance as a plot point. Grigori is a widower who has difficulty moving on from his wife’s death and finds his job as a professor becoming irrelevant. Drew is passionate about her job but realizes that her success has not measured up to what her family and friends think she should have – she’s divorced and avoiding a relationship. The quirks and side characters, as well as the interesting look into the history of the jewels and Drew’s family, are appealing though I didn’t like the impression that the author seemed to give about how undateable Drew was. Even the seemingly unsympathetic characters are given motivations and are shown from different angles. There’s a secret that’s teased from the opening pages and is revealed halfway through but it was pretty obvious. The important part is how is develops in the past so I thought the author should have just come out and said what it was instead of playing coy. For the most part, though, these issues don’t detract from the reading. The book is a good size but I finished it in just a few sittings.

[bacillicide · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Honestly this wasn't a 4 star until the end. For about halfway through, I was super annoyed by the breaks into the present, I was far more interested in Nina's life in Soviet Russia. The ballet scenes were beautifully written. I love everything about the scenes taking place in Russia, in fact, for the first half or three quarters I was pretty convinced it would have been a better novel altogether had it been merely telling the story of Nina and her escape from Russia rather than using the sell of her jewels as a framing device of her past. I'm not entirely convinced that it wouldn't have been a 5-star book had it done so. I think I would have been more pleased altogether.But towards the end the present starts having a little more relevance, and I got more absorbed. It really does deserve the 4-star rating. It's beautifully written, the scenes in Russia are stunning and engaging. I just wish there had been more of that and less of Nina in America.

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Or you escaped, like Zoltan. Lived to tell the truth. It was one of the reasons Zoltan’s work mattered so greatly, each poem a message that had jumped a wall, burrowed a tunnel out of prison, survived to tell the rest of the world its news. So many others – other people, other poets – never made it.Nina Revskaya, a ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet, having reached old age in the US after her defection from Russia, has decided to auction her jewels to benefit the Boston Ballet. Her life story, and that of her husband, the poet Viktor Elsin, is slowly unveiled. There is a professor in Boston whose specialty is Elsin’s work; he has also become interested in Nina and the story behind her jewels. The woman into whose hands the work of the auction is placed also tries to piece together their history in order to enhance the sale. This was a learning experience for me as I know nothing about ballet. The behind the scenes look at the life of a ballerina, and life in Stalinist Russia was fascinating. I don’t feel myself equal to discussing the merits of mystery books, as I’m only a recent convert to the genre. But I really did enjoy this one.

[smits_52 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely book with a wonderful combination of mystery, russian history, and romance set up on the stage of sovet Russia and the Bolshoi ballet. It is written in a time travel going back to WW11 and then to present day and it is a testamount for me when I like reading during either of the dates of time. Uusally I prefer either the past parts of a book or the present parts. I was drawn in to the mystery of the amber jewlery and captivated with Nina Revskaya.

[amandajoy30 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found the story in this book very engaging. The different storylines, about Nina living and being a prima-ballerina in Russian, and then what ultimately led to her decision to leave; and the other storyline about the auction and the amber necklace. But as much as I was engaged with the storyline, I found the characters a little lacking. Ultimately, I wanted to know what was going to happen because I was curious about the story, not because I felt for the characters.

[readingwithtea · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Probably that sliver of doubt was always with her, lodged inside her, as it was inside everyone, about everybody else”One-time prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet Nina Revskaya, now wheelchair-bound in Boston, decides to sell her impressive jewellery collection for the benefit of the Boston Ballet Foundation. As she looks at the treasures of her past, she recalls her life on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Drew Brooks, in charge of the auction, pries deep into Nina’s life with the help of the obsessive Professor Solodin to try to add some historical colour to Nina’s precious jewels.I write this review having just finished the book this morning and mostly read it solidly, straight through. I’m left with a feeling of enduring, beautiful sadness. Kalotay has crafted a mystery of sorts (why did Nina leave? Why is the professor so convinced that he has a connection to her? Why is she selling the jewellery?) and maintains it with the suspense of the threat of arrest for political dissent in Stalinist Russia. Yet it is the personal tragedies that are most haunting: the tragedy of Nina’s friend Vera, her parents shipped off to who knows where. Of Viktor, forced to compromise his artistic ideals in order to survive. Of Gersh, forced to the same, but refusing. Of Zoya and her unrequited love. The ending packs the biggest punch, as the true tragedy of Nina’s escape from Russia is revealed, both to Nina herself and to the reader.I was surprised to see that Kalotay does not have a background in ballet; she has clearly done her research well and has some good contacts. Similarly, her research on gemstones and auctions is clearly displayed but fortunately not in depth, or the story could quickly get bogged down. I was also rather pleased that the connection between Grigori and Nina has a serious twist in it – for it to be what the reader easily assumes during the main part of the book would have been saccharine.Nina is an excellent lead character; one empathises and acknowledges her struggles, but her flaws are also clear. Her pride and stubbornness are occasionally frustrating when the reader knows what is going to happen anyway, but she is a well-crafted and consistent protagonist. Solodin’s story had a few too many loose threads, or rather, Kalotay tries a little too hard to make him interesting. Recently deceased wife, potential for a scandalous love affair, unclear parentage, evidently interesting up-bringing; it feels like the novel was supposed to be more balanced towards Solodin and the editorial red pen was uneven in its application, leaving the Solodin storyline rather bare and Nina’s over-developed by comparison.This was a highly enjoyable debut novel, “intelligent chick lit”, and I look forward to reading more of Kalotay’s work.

[acqwoods · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had seen this book recommended a number of times and it did not disappoint; I devoured the entire novel in one (long) day! The story revolves around Nina Revskaya, a ballerina in the Bolshoi Ballet during the Stalin era who now lives in Boston. She has decided to auction off some of her extraordinary jewelry collection. Each piece recalls for her a story or an event in her life. The auction house is surprised when an anonymous donor comes forward with an unusual necklace which is a clear match to earrings and a bracelet donated by Revskaya. Nina clearly knows something about it, but refuses to speak to Grigori Solodin, the necklace's mysterious donor. As the story of Nina's life unravels, so too do many of Grigori's beliefs about himself. The novel touches on many themes and subplots but they are woven together beautifully.

[imbookingit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Russian Winter was an all-round wonderful read!Nina Revskaya was the best part of the book, in both her younger and older guises. She had such a strong, vibrant personality, and I loved seeing how the one grew into the other.The historical sections of the book gave me a glimpse I'd never seen into post WWII Russia, and what life was like there.The modern parts presented a wonderful puzzle, based on jewelry from that long lost era.Throughout all of this are an array of fantastic characters that really came to life, whether they had a major roles or minor ones. Certainly, Nina; her husband Victor Elsin, a well known but not quite famous poet; Grigori Solodin, the translator who has dedicated his career to Elsin for not quit objective reasons; and Drew, who stumbles into the questions that Nina's jewels bring to the surface, and pursues the answers (personal and professional) that she needs; these major characters are memorable. So are those of Victor's mother, a displaced aristocrat; Vera, Nina's childhood friend; and more.The book was emotionally satisfying and intellectually stimulating. The writing was beautiful, adding up to a wonderful book.

[allisonmacias · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was riveting. I loved it. It had all a great story needs; mystery, love, oppression, and the need to understand the past. At any time while reading this book, I had two to three theories about how all these stories connect. Kalotay leaves nothing out, while keeping the mystery alive. This is a wonderful book and if you get the chance, read it. You won't be disappointed.