Russian Winter

Aug 10, 2012 Rusty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A famous ballerina is selling her jewelry to benefit the Boston ballet. Nina Revskya is ill, in pain, and confined to a wheelchair. However, her decision to auction her jewels opens past memories that she would prefer to forget. The novel moves back and forth between her past and the present. The present is likewise divided between Nina's thoughts and emotions and that of the young woman, Drew Brooks, who is researching and evaluating the collection plus the reactions of a professor, Grigori Sol...more A famous ballerina is selling her jewelry to benefit the Boston ballet. Nina Revskya is ill, in pain, and confined to a wheelchair. However, her decision to auction her jewels opens past memories that she would prefer to forget. The novel moves back and forth between her past and the present. The present is likewise divided between Nina's thoughts and emotions and that of the young woman, Drew Brooks, who is researching and evaluating the collection plus the reactions of a professor, Grigori Solodin, who believes that he is related to Nina.

Nina recalls her experiences as a child, later as an aspiring ballerina, and finally as a an accomplished and well revered ballerina. Even at this point she is poor, hungry and always repairing costumes, tights and ballet shoes. When she falls in love with the wealthy poet, Viktor Elsin, the two marry but they still must live with his mother, who dislikes and ridicules her.

As Nina's story unfolds, Viktor's best friend is arrested and sent away. Nina's friend, Vera, is devastated as she is in love with the friend. Nina becomes more and more distrustful of those around her and focuses primarily on dance. Viktor wants to have a child but Nina is afraid to bring one into this world. She and Vera quarrel and avoid each other. However, there is so much to the relationships and her marriage than one can share in a few lines.

Back in the present, Grigori Solonin owns an amber necklace that he believes belongs with a set that Nina has listed for sale. In his attempt to discover if it is and if he is related to Nina he finds himself attracted to Drew Brooks and another story line evolves.

I loved the novel and the bouncing back and forth between characters and time frames only seemed to me to enhance the story. It's a wonderful read well documented by the author's research. While these comments may seem disconnected it is difficult to share impressions about this read without giving away too much. Suffice it to say that this is a most enjoyable novel that I highly recommend.(less)

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Jun 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this story, the way the author was able to weave at least two of the main characters' stories together so artfully--Drew is more tangential to my mind, though I was gunning for her (and her intended) from early on. Her story, though, isn't as compelling by far as Grigori's and Nina's. However, a good story, and I learned a vast amount about Soviet Russia, jewels, and the ballet. I watched Black Swan during the reading of this novel, and the two worked strangely well together.

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Mar 08, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: udhs-faculty-book-club

Our faculty had an interesting discussion about Russian Winter last week. All enjoyed it very much, some were disappointed in the end (no spoiler) just thought it ended too abruptly. Characters were well drawn and there was an interesting mix of types, all unique and human. One gets a real sense of the lack of privacy and constant prying of Soviet eyes on its citizens in the era of the late 40's and early 50's. Nina, Paulina and Vera also take us into the grueling and competitive world of the Bo...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Kristin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.5 stars
I was all set to love this book as it had a lovely cover, an intriguing title, perfect setting and history but boy did it disappoint! Failed completely in the character department. I despised every relationship in this novel except maybe that of Nina and her caregiver Cynthia. I hate it when the whole crux of a book relies on minor characters who suddenly become very important at the end when you never even cared about them much anyway. Also, Nina was just SO oblivious and stupid that I...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was hooked on this book by page 80. If you like the arts, ballet, Russian history or all three you will love this book. The book takes place in post-war Russia but the narration switches between history and modern day as the author weaves three main characters' lives together. I found this book to be profound and, while a work of fiction, is probably very close to lives other post-war Soviets lived. I loved the little nuggets of ballet terminology and I thought the lot descriptions in between...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Helen Mastico rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A decent enough read but a bit like eating peanut butter and jelly without the peanut butter - pleasant enough but not very filling. I didn't particularly like Nina and found myself wondering why anyone would have given all these fabulous jewels, she brought very few from Russia it appeared. The other characters were not very well developed but it was written from Nina's memory and memories are fickle and by nature self-centered. For a book that throughout seemed to try to cross every T there wa...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bolshoi ballerinas in tutus and toe shoes dance beautifully in post World War II Moscow. Their graceful movements continue during Stalin's rule. Childhood friends, Nina and Vera, become famous dancers. Nina marries Viktor, a charming and successful poet. Viktor's best friend, a composer named Gersh, falls in love with Vera.

Russian Winter begins in Boston. Nina, a Soviet Union defector meets with Drew, a woman with a man's name. Drew works for an auction house. Nina plans to sell her jewels. As...more

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May 23, 2013 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved this. An epic saga about a Russian prima ballerina from Soviet Russia who defects and eventually ends up in Boston. In the current timeline she is selling her collection of jewelry, which introduces us to a professor who translated her husbands poetry. Turns out that he has a matching necklace to a set of Nina's Amber jewelry. The story flows well from past to present and from the point of view of Nina, the ballerina who wants nothing to do with Grigori (the professor) and his necklace and...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ricki Treleaven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This week I read Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. I have been on a roll lately: after many disappointing reads this year, I have been on a streak of fantastic books. :D There are so many things I love about this book: ballerinas, poets, intrigue, and romance, just to name a few. It could also be classified as a historical fiction because part of the plot revolves around artists during Stalin's regime in the former USSR.

Nina Revskaya, a former prima ballerina, defects to the West after she achie...more This week I read Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. I have been on a roll lately: after many disappointing reads this year, I have been on a streak of fantastic books. :D There are so many things I love about this book: ballerinas, poets, intrigue, and romance, just to name a few. It could also be classified as a historical fiction because part of the plot revolves around artists during Stalin's regime in the former USSR.

Nina Revskaya, a former prima ballerina, defects to the West after she achieves success with the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet. Eventually settling in Boston, Nina decides to sell her extensive jewelry collection at auction and donate the proceeds to the Boston Ballet. One of the most intriguing sets included in the auction is a matching set of amber earrings and bracelet. The set contain specimens: insects that are frozen in time as the resin encapsulates them. Coincidentally, a middle aged Russian Literature and Language professor, Grigori Solodin, also donates an amber pendant with a perfect specimen of a spider and its egg sac to the auction. It appears to be a part of Nina's set, and together the pieces should raise lots of money for the ballet.

Grigori Solodin was born in Moscow in 1950 at the height of Stalin's dictatorship. His mother was supposedly a ballerina with the Bolshoi, and she died from hemorrhaging shortly after the birth. When Grigori was 13, his adoptive parents (scientists who also defected to the West) gave him a purse that contained letters, photographs, and the amber pendant. Nina Revskaya and her poet husband, Viktor Elsin, were in the photographs. Grigori confronted Nina as a young college student, but she would not tell him anything about his mother.

At the Boston auction house, Drew Brooks, a young associate, is writing the auction brochure and supplement. She wants to solve the mystery of the matching amber set, and she presses Grigori and Nina for answers. Nina is obstinate, and the reader does not understand why until much later in the book. Grigori is a bit more helpful, but he is not telling his whole story, either. Grigori becomes increasingly attracted to Drew, which is a huge surprise to him. He has been grieving for his wife, Christine, who died two years ago from cancer. Once Grigori tells Drew everything he knows, Drew has insight that surprises, yet disturbs Grigori about his past. Ironically, Drew also has a strange connection to the story through her Russian ancestry.

As the story weaves back and forth from Stalinist Russia to Boston in the early '00's, Kalotay spins a heartbreaking story of lost friendship, deception, heartbreak, and hope. The book also teaches an important lesson that it is never too late to do the right thing, and that sometimes forgiveness begins with forgiving oneself. This one just might make my short list, although it was published in late 2010. I am just now getting around to reading it!
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Jan 14, 2013 CJC rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well it seems I may be in the minority here but I did not love this book. It had so much potential! I appreciate that the author tried to tie the 2 stories together but the Boston bits ruined the rest of it.

In fairness much of what I didn’t like is personal preference. I hate the formula used here. Tell a little bit, just when it gets interesting, switch to something else. To me it feels like someone taunting ‘I know something you don’t know’, and all I can think is ‘fine if you don’t want to te...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Megan Readinginthesunshine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. Daphne has created a well-written tale about life, loss, love, betrayal and determination, all whilst maintaining a very strong plot line. The story switches effortlessly between Boston in the present day, and a post- World War 2 Russia, which drew me straight in and kept me there until I had finished this brilliant story.

Nina was a wonderful character, I very much enjoyed reading about her time as a ballet dancer, how she started out when she was a young girl and wor...more

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May 25, 2012 Sacha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Russian literature. The wintry weather of Boston, MA. A Hungarian grandmother. An emerald. These are the beginnings of it all, the early glimmerings, the seeds, soil, water, and light to which "Russian Winter" was able to grow into that abstract and lyrical organism that is the novel. Obtaining its roots from a long-ago attempt at a short story, it blossomed into 459 pages of all-encompassing narrative at the urging of Daphne Kalotay's publishing team, the author beginning the exhaustive passage...more Russian literature. The wintry weather of Boston, MA. A Hungarian grandmother. An emerald. These are the beginnings of it all, the early glimmerings, the seeds, soil, water, and light to which "Russian Winter" was able to grow into that abstract and lyrical organism that is the novel. Obtaining its roots from a long-ago attempt at a short story, it blossomed into 459 pages of all-encompassing narrative at the urging of Daphne Kalotay's publishing team, the author beginning the exhaustive passage to its completion in 2003.

The story is as follows: Nina Revskaya is a former prima ballerina for the renowned Bolshoi Ballet, now nearly an octogenarian and confined to a wheelchair due to a debilitating physical ailment. How she came to live in the US is a mystery, one that will slowly but surely unravel when, in the twilight of her life, she decides to sell off her vast jewelry collection, each piece playing an integral part in her early life in Moscow. Cracking the code of her mysterious background is Drew Brooks, a curator for the Boston Museum who has been called upon to assess each piece, a pair of earrings and a bracelet made from Baltic amber of particular interest to her. Enter Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes he has a pertinent connection to Nina and, much to her dismay, pursues confirmation of it. Both Grigori and Drew become wrapped up in Nina's past, a triumvirate of personal effects (a love letter, a poem, a necklace) spawning a relentless inquiry that takes them and the reader all the way back to post-WWII Russia and beyond, the majority of the journey made through Nina's vast and vivid bank of memories.

The book is divided into three parts - Book I tracks Nina's childhood induction into the Bolshoi, her burgeoning love and subsequent marriage to poet Viktor Elsin, and her reunion with childhood friend Vera Borodina; Book II follows her rising stardom, communist oppression, and a suspected betrayal by Vera and Viktor; Book III her covert journey to the states and the discovery of the origin of the Baltic amber pieces, jewels that end up being the key to the clandestine vault of Nina's secrets in addition to the discovery of Grigori's own nebulous past.

For a debut novel, author Daphne Kalotay is off to a magnificent start in her career as a writer of literary fiction (she resigned from her post as a full-time professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Writing Program at Boston University in 2006). "Russian Winter" is chock-full of beauteous language, composed of savory descriptions of the world of ballet and a bygone era of Eastern Europe. I was swept away to another part of the world, something I adore about books (I, like Karen Blixen, have always been a mental traveler), and Kalotay gave me exactly what I was looking for in that department. Her descriptions of Russia are multihued, evocative even; so convinced was I that she had been there before, perhaps many times, maybe even lived the sights and sounds through the stories of her own descendants, that I was very much surprised when I read that she did not make her first visit until after the book was complete. Her perception of the country is born entirely from photographs and reference books, her research on its topography, landmarks and attitudes during the tumultuous Stalin-era time period thorough and persuasive. Her descriptions both emotional and physical regarding ballet, however, come from personal experience as an erstwhile dancer in addition to her readings of several dancers' memoirs, in particular world-famous prima ballerina assoluta Maya Plisetskaya, who became a principle dancer for the Bolshoi in 1960.

The only area in which Kalotay seems to be lacking is characterization (sadly, her story usurped her players). Nina, forcefully acclimatized to the habit of keeping secrets, is a stiff and intractably reticent character - the young version of her is consumed by the acquisition and sustainment of the spotlight while the old version refuses to let others see her sweat while keeping them at arm's length, never allowing them any sort of personal connection. The reader gets precious few glimpses of her softer side and after several hundred pages of stubborn restraint, it feels like a lost opportunity for the author to give this crudely cut woman some refinement, to smooth the sharper edges of her personality. The same goes for the rest of the female characters, with the exception of Drew Brooks, a simple personality that with a little more emotional investment could've been memorable. The only character that seems to stick out most in this forgettable totem pole of a cast is Grigori Solodin, the curiosity about his past and his mourning over his late wife Christine giving color and feeling to the bare-bones mold of his character (there's a lovely passage on pgs 173-174 that illustrates the beauty in all the difficult and delicate bonds of their marriage). He's even given more of a physical description than the rest, a delightful one that allows the reader to see him fully in their mind: "He wore a tailored suit, clean if lightly rumpled, with a handkerchief poking up optimistically from his breast pocket. This costume he had adopted twenty-five years earlier, during his very first semester teaching here, when he had also tried growing a beard and smoking a pipe - anything to appear even a year or so older than his actual age. Even now, at fifty, his face had few lines, and his hair, thick in a way that seemed to ask to be mussed, remained dark and full. Tall, trim, he still possessed something of his youthful lankiness." (pg. 19)

Kalotay says she adores happy endings and you can expect her to deliver on that front - the book concludes gracefully, new doors and new possibilities opening up, giving the reader a sense that the lives of its characters have been irrevocably altered for the better.

Bottom line: Pick up "Russian Winter" if, like me, you fancy the idea of traveling to distant lands from the comfort of your living room (or library, park bench, barstool...wherever you do your reading), if you want a story that spans years as well as miles, and you don't really care whether you invest in any of the characters and/or remember them long after you're finished. Daphne Kalotay may sweep some readers off their feet with her elegance, but true love will tarry if she fails to give them some characters with depth, their dance with her debut just another passionate yet forgettable literary fling. (less)

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May 07, 2012 Marija Atanasova rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Просечна, анемична книга, една од оние за кои не би сакале да напишете мислење, да не е впрочем, причината поради која сте решиле да отворите портфолио со краток коментар за секоја прочитана книга.Идејата потекнува баш од, и за овој тип книги- кои се читаат лесно, се паметат бегло недела-две и се забораваат брзо, лесно коа два и два.Книги кои не се истакнуваат ни по добро, ни по лошо, наменети за во автобус или плажа, книги кои да се актери би биле статисти.
Дафне Калотеј, веројатно е една фина...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Ashley Ayash rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-reads, adult-novels

The seamless flow from past to present, Nina to Drew to Grigori, and even mystery to the ballet, was masterful and cinematic. The first section of the book had a slow pace, but around the middle, the plot leapt across the stage of prose to the end. I was sad to see the novel end, but the outcome of the characters was satisfactory, just like every ballet I've ever seen. The descriptions of the ballet and arts scenes in Soviet Russia was the best part for me; I got to see what it was like behind T...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Dizzyc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh, wow! This is a stunning debut from Daphne Kalotay and is going to the top of my Best Reads for 2012!

The novel moves back and forth between modern day Boston and post World War 2 Russia.

The story centres around 3 main characters...

Nina - a principal dance with post war Bolshoi Ballet. As graceful in her mind in her frail 80's as she was on stage all those years ago, she decides to auction her collection of precious jewellery to benefit others. As the attention from the media focuses on this c...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The blurb on the back:
“When Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, decides to auction her jewellery collection she believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead she is overwhelmed by memories of her life a half-century before.
It was in Russia that she fell in love – and where, spurred by Stalinist aggression, a terrible discovery led to a deadly act of betrayal.
Now living in Boston, Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the pa...more The blurb on the back:
“When Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, decides to auction her jewellery collection she believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead she is overwhelmed by memories of her life a half-century before.
It was in Russia that she fell in love – and where, spurred by Stalinist aggression, a terrible discovery led to a deadly act of betrayal.
Now living in Boston, Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at the auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor who believes the jewels may hold the key to his past. Together these unlikely partners unravel a literary mystery whose answers hold life-altering consequences for them all.”

This is a fascinating story. The parts of the narrative set in 1950’s Moscow had me enthralled. On the service it is just a story about ballet, love and jealousy. It is almost possible for the reader to forget that the ballet and the meeting of two lovers is taking place in an atmosphere of suspicion and constant danger.
And that makes sense, because people living under such circumstances do have jobs they are passionate about, do fall in love and feel all the emotions connected to sharing your life with someone else. They wouldn’t constantly think about the political system under which they happen to be living, they would mostly just try to get on with life and be as happy as they could possibly be.
But between the lines the suppression of people, the fear those people live with and the constant vigilance they had to keep up just to avoid being arrested and exiled are evident.
Once the reader stops to think about it, it becomes clear that the setting and the political situation at the time are as much a character and driving force in this story as the humans involved in the story.

The Bolshoi Ballet made for a very interesting setting, even for me who doesn’t know a lot about and isn’t very interested in ballet. With Nina Revskaya the reader initially concentrates on dance and love only to slowly discover and recognise the evil and duplicity of Stalin’s regime. And through Nina it is possible for the reader to understand why and how a person would be so caught up in their passion that the knowledge of that evil would remain in the background most of the time.

I wasn’t as impressed with the modern day part of the story. It is good, and it provides a great handle for unravelling what exactly happened in the past, and why Nina has stayed silent about that past for so long. The Boston background however, just didn’t provide the same tension or level of interest that Stalin’s Moscow gave.
While Nina and her Victor had me rooting for them from the moment they met, even though it is clear that there won’t be a happy ending, I just didn’t care as much about Grigori and Drew. The magic attraction I could feel between the dancer and her poet wasn’t quite there for the professor and his auctioneer.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. With Drew and Grigori I wanted to find out what exactly had happened and why. And I was glad and impressed that, although I had a good bit of the answers figured out before the end of the book, it didn’t work out quite as I had suspected.
I think this is a very impressive debut novel by an author I will be keeping an eye on from now on.
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Jan 12, 2012 Kimmy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really great book. As I’ve mentioned before, I love historical fiction, so this book really appealed to me. I also love when a story successfully weaves multiple narratives/perspectives, as this one does.

Nina Revskaya is now an old woman living in Boston, confined to her wheelchair, depending on assistance from Cynthia, her nurse, for daily tasks. She was once a prima ballerina in the Bolshoi ballet during Stalinist Russia though, and the story blends Nina’s current life with flashbac...more This was a really great book. As I’ve mentioned before, I love historical fiction, so this book really appealed to me. I also love when a story successfully weaves multiple narratives/perspectives, as this one does.

Nina Revskaya is now an old woman living in Boston, confined to her wheelchair, depending on assistance from Cynthia, her nurse, for daily tasks. She was once a prima ballerina in the Bolshoi ballet during Stalinist Russia though, and the story blends Nina’s current life with flashbacks to her development as a dancer and progression from the corps de ballet to the Bolshoi’s star, nicknamed The Butterfly.

We learn that Nina is turning over all of her exquisite jewels to an auction house in Boston. Drew, the young woman at the auction house overseeing the sale, is intrigued by Nina’s jewelry and seeming reticence to discuss how she obtained the pieces and who gave them to her. The auction draws considerable public interest, given Nina’s escape from Russia with the jewelry, and Nina is forced to recall past events that she would rather forget.

Complicating things for Nina is Grigori, a university professor, who has tried to reach out to Nina in the past in an attempt to learn more about his own past. When he hears of the auction, he is drawn back into his own search for answers.

I loved the flashbacks to Nina’s life in Russia. Life was so difficult for Nina and for her friends, but she put everything aside in order to focus on her dancing, and even receives a visit from Stalin himself during a performance. However, some of Nina’s friends fall victim to Stalin’s regime, and their fates sadly illustrate the dangers that people of that time faced. The historical aspect of this story was so well done because it was woven into the novel without feeling like an overt history lesson. It just flowed with the story.

I loved reading about Nina’s past, with her husband, the poet Viktor Elsin, his composer friend, Gersh, and her fellow dancers, Vera and Polina. Their daily lives were filled with such hardships and dangers, and yet they managed to find joy together. These chapters were, in my opinion, the best in the novel.

I also loved reading the ballet scenes. I don’t know much about ballet, but I have been to see Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, and I just loved it! The descriptions of Nina’s dancing, in practice and performances, was so beautiful and revealed the contrast between what we see in the audience – seemingly effortless, lighter than air dancers – with the true physical price paid by the dancers.

The characters were well written and, as we learn more about Nina’s past, she becomes a more sympathetic character that I cared for. Drew and Grigori, as well, were easy to like and I cared about what happened to them. In fact, they become central to unravelling the novel’s mystery, and I found it a very satisfying reveal.

This was a really wonderful book. It was bittersweet and beautifully written, and I definitely recommend it.

(From http://pingwings.ca/russian-winter-a-...)(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fun read! I loved learning about Soviet Russia during the Stalinist early 1950s period. I used to study ballet, and I especially enjoyed reading about Revskaya's training and performances with the Bolshoi. It was also fascinating to learn about life under Communism--the scarcity of housing and food and clothing, the necessity for communal living, and especially the constant fear of being reported. The book opens with the arrest of the parents of Revskaya's childhood best friend and the threat of...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3 1/2 stars.
I took this description off Amazon: 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 esca...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nina Revskaya is a former ballerina with the Bolshoi ballet. She is now living in Boston in a wheelchair and has decided to auction her precious jewelry. She believes this might ease her mind about the memories of her past life.

Nina auditioned and was accepted into the Bolshoi ballet school. She dedicated her life to her dance. All around her Stalin made his mark and people disappeared into the night. Neighbours informed on each other. People were packed into small apartments and life was tough....more

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Aug 30, 2011 Catherine Hurst rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My friend Ann gave me this book and told me it was a good read--I had no particular expectations, didn't know anything about it, hadn't read any reviews--so a pretty pure response! I liked it very much--especially as the story got going and the characters and time periods sorted themselves out. The mystery at the heart of the novel (where did Grigori get the amber necklace, how were Nina's and Grigori's amber related, who are Grigori's birth parents?) pulled me in and kept me interested, and the...more

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Apr 07, 2011 switterbug (Betsey) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Daphne Kalotay imbues the crowd-pleasing qualities of commercial fiction with a soft and sensuous literary touch in this novel of exile and family, love and betrayal. From the Stalinist aggression of Russia to the peaceful, snowy streets of Boston, the reader is taken on a page-turning journey of professional ballet, fancy jewels, and ethereal poetry. This is an historical romance written by a scholar to appeal to readers seeking a satisfying escape.

As the novel opens in contemporary Boston, Dre...more Daphne Kalotay imbues the crowd-pleasing qualities of commercial fiction with a soft and sensuous literary touch in this novel of exile and family, love and betrayal. From the Stalinist aggression of Russia to the peaceful, snowy streets of Boston, the reader is taken on a page-turning journey of professional ballet, fancy jewels, and ethereal poetry. This is an historical romance written by a scholar to appeal to readers seeking a satisfying escape.

As the novel opens in contemporary Boston, Drew Brooks, an associate director at an esteemed auction house, is preparing for a daring, intrepid auction. The jewels of Soviet-defected and Russian ballerina Nina Revskaya are soon to be bid on, with proceeds going to the Boston Ballet. The now eighty-year-old former danseur is in possession of a most elegant collection, including part of an amber set with the once-popular and now priceless insect inclusions. As Drew and Nina size each other up, a thrill goes down the reader's spine. Nina has secrets she isn't sharing.

Russian professor, poetry scholar, and widower Grigori Solodin teaches in Boston. Grigori is in possession of an exquisite amber necklace, and he believes it is a key to his past. He carries a great sorrow, and an unrelieved burden that is about to unload in some penetrating and provocative ways. The mournful professor, now fifty, has not reconciled his past, and he feels he has no future to look forward to beyond academia.

Cut to fifty years ago, in post World War II Russia, as Nina Revskaya matures from new recruit to prima ballerina at the Bolshoi Ballet House in Moscow. Her best friend and fellow ballerina, Vera, has equal but opposite qualities, and they complement each other as confidants and cohorts. Nina is a short, classic beauty with jewel-green eyes, while Vera is tall, willowy, and soulful-eyed. Vera lost her parents to the penal labor camps, but found a maternal comfort with Nina's mother. Nina fell in love with poet Viktor Elsin, while Vera's more complicated affair with Viktor's comrade, Jewish composer Gersh, is fraught with problems of safety and security.

To be paranoid in Soviet Russia was to be smart and sensible. Anything you say or whisper could be twisted and held against you. An equivocal or questionable comment against communist Russia had serious penalties. Many comrades were recruited by the Committee to secretly write reports on people close to them. Citizens often capitulated in order to be protected. Gersh is not a good communist, and thus is targeted as someone to be watched.

As the story moves back and forth from modern-day Boston to the oppression in Russia, the tension builds to a sweeping but predictable climax. Despite the red herrings and complex web of clues, I guessed the outcome early in the book. However, the joy of reading the novel resides in Kalotay's prose, polished as smooth stone and as variegated as fine agate. Her landscape scenes are cinematic and spectacular, from the white snowbanks of Moscow to the blizzards of Boston.

When you attend a performance of Swan Lake, you know how it evolves and how it ends. You listen for the mastery of Tchaikovsky's music, you gaze at the stunning sets and costumes, and you feel the visceral, emotional thrill of the dazzling dance. Kalotay's book stole me away from my everyday life with its balletic achievement of scenic beauty, lyrical writing, and universal themes. Wrap up in a warm blanket in the dead of winter and curl up by a window seat in the middle of the day, and get carried away for the rest of the night.(less)

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Dec 14, 2010 Stephanie D. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love novels that unfold the way Russian Winter by Daphne Kolatay did - shrouded in a mystery that's slowly, tantalizingly revealed through multiple narratives and flashbacks.

The story starts out simply enough: Nina, a former Bolshoi ballerina is putting up her jewels for auction. As Nina inventories her jewels, she also reluctantly inventories her life - setting in motion a painful remembrance of her past in communist Russia and who she left when she defected: her husband, the handsome poet;...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Alins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 08, 2010 Kindaangelic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just happened to see this book on the Goodreads website..off to the side where they put fan faves/new authors. I am so glad that my library had it and I was able to read such an interesting piece of history/fiction. I am not a ballet fan and knew nothing about it,but I found this book to be really interesting and had an insight to the that world as well as the old Russia that I had read about. Nina is such a curmudgeon at 1st, it was hard to even like her. I thought I had figured out the plot...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Amy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-or-review-copy

Russian Winter is an engrossing fiction novel from Daphne Kalotay that combines personal history with notorious events in human history. Flashbacks from Stalin-era Russia combine with the modern life of a Russian defector, Nina Revskaya, once famous as a Bolshoi ballerina. As she enters her final years, she decides to have a Sotheby's-style auction house sell her gems...purportedly to donate the funds to the Arts. However, it soon becomes clear that she has more personal reasons to divest of the...more Russian Winter is an engrossing fiction novel from Daphne Kalotay that combines personal history with notorious events in human history. Flashbacks from Stalin-era Russia combine with the modern life of a Russian defector, Nina Revskaya, once famous as a Bolshoi ballerina. As she enters her final years, she decides to have a Sotheby's-style auction house sell her gems...purportedly to donate the funds to the Arts. However, it soon becomes clear that she has more personal reasons to divest of the jewelry-some of the pieces harbor memories that are too painful to hold on to.

In the meantime, Drew, the auction house assistant, is charged with the task of determining the provenance of the pieces. A mystery arises as a new pendant is anonymously donated...one that would appear to be linked with Nina's set. The significance is clear: there's more to the story than Nina is willing to reveal. And it is the verification of the jewels history that becomes a story of assumptions and lies, and the betrayals that come as a result from them.

The story was well paced, and plot twists developed that kept the mystery going. I also found the in-depth portrayal of the auction house's job of verifying historical jewelry fascinating. However, I had a few issues with the substance of the novel overall. One, I got the impression almost that a formula was being followed...'reveal this much detail at a time, then hold back, move on, and sprinkle foreshadowing liberally'. It worked, but once completed, the novel felt a bit manipulated. Another thing was I think the author wanted to show two powerful, independent women in action; and yet, both women (Drew and Nina) lacked warmth and were really kind of boring. The men in the story-Grigori and Viktor-were far more interesting and vibrant to read about. The women seemed passive in comparison.

The flashbacks of Russia were of the most basic historical components: poets, vodka, intellectual suppression, mysterious arrests, the ballet, corruption, and poverty. In other words, there was nothing new added that dipped beneath a mere surface knowledge of "Russia 101." I would have loved if the book could have added historical details that would have revealed more complexity to the characters, in the way Vasily Grossman's Everything Flows uncovered a pain that explained its character's actions with more humanity. And yet, to someone unfamiliar with Russian history, they might find it a good introduction to the unique events of the region's history. (less)

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Sep 11, 2010 Felice rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The cover got me. I had to stop and look. It's pretty isn't it? Even though there is nothing at all original about the art. The cover beckons but alas it does not fulfill. It's unfinished. It's the start of a beautiful cover and yet it's oddly blank. The flat clarity of the figure verses the worn depth of the background surface don't mesh. They fight each other instead of complimenting each other. Sadly that turned out to be a prophecy for the novel.

Russian Winter is a cradle to grave story of...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Corinne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The elderly Nina Revskaya has jewels to auction, a life's worth of beauty and baubles that came as the result of her role as a prima ballerina in Russia and all over Europe. Drew's job is to make these jewels as attractive to the public as possible and this means knowing the history, Nina's history - which she staunchly refuses to hand over. Drew isn't the only one interested in Nina's Russian life, however. Grigori, a professor of Russian languages, has his own reasons to believe that the story...more The elderly Nina Revskaya has jewels to auction, a life's worth of beauty and baubles that came as the result of her role as a prima ballerina in Russia and all over Europe. Drew's job is to make these jewels as attractive to the public as possible and this means knowing the history, Nina's history - which she staunchly refuses to hand over. Drew isn't the only one interested in Nina's Russian life, however. Grigori, a professor of Russian languages, has his own reasons to believe that the story of one jewel in particular will lead him to the answers to years of questions.

This book hit the spot for me, in many ways. First. I love books that juxtapose two time periods. In this case, we have present-day Boston and post WWII Moscow. Second. I love being immersed into unfamiliar worlds. In Russian Winter, we learn about the lives of ballerinas in a famous Muscovite Ballet Corp, trying to navigate the terrifying reality of Stalin's regime and at the same time, we're experiencing the high stakes research and presentation of jewelery auctions at a high class auction house. Third. This book is full of emotions - jealousy, betrayal, new love, old love, fear, guilt and regret. The passage between the two times made it very hard to put this book down, I think Kalotay did a fine job of bridging that distance between present and past. It was like unraveling a mystery from the beginning and the end at the same time.

While the love story was beautifully predictable, there were some twists that I totally got wrong and I always find myself more endeared to a book when the author really does surprise me. I know very little about Russia behind the Iron Curtain and Nina's early life certainly shows the confusion, the disbelief, the strong desire for things to just be FINE and the despair when one realizes that there is no fine. There is only Stalin and his will, people disappearing in the night and the heart-wrenching feeling that maybe you or someone you love will be next.

It's not perfect - sometimes I wanted to be back in the other time period or vice versa and occasionally Nina is a frustrating character but in the end, once I understood her a little better, I loved it. A great love story/historical story/mystery. (less)

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Sep 09, 2010 Susan Ideus rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Daphne Kalotay's debut novel is a stunning and moving portrayal of love, loss, betrayals, and the enduring human spirit. It celebrates life and art and the bond between them. Nina Revskaya is a former Bolshoi ballerina, living out her last days in Boston. As the story progresses, it is clear that much of the time, however, her mind and her heart are back in Stalin's Russia.

Nina's decision to sell her amazing collection of jewelry, amassed through the decades, to benefit the Boston Ballet, opens...more Daphne Kalotay's debut novel is a stunning and moving portrayal of love, loss, betrayals, and the enduring human spirit. It celebrates life and art and the bond between them. Nina Revskaya is a former Bolshoi ballerina, living out her last days in Boston. As the story progresses, it is clear that much of the time, however, her mind and her heart are back in Stalin's Russia.

Nina's decision to sell her amazing collection of jewelry, amassed through the decades, to benefit the Boston Ballet, opens up old wounds and transports Nina to her past. Kalotay superbly interweaves the storyline from past to present, Moscow to Boston, allowing the reader a window into the events that shaped the dancer's life and determined her ultimate fate. As the young jewelry auction executive Drew tries to trace the history and origin of several pieces of amber jewelry, Nina becomes alternately withdrawn and agitated. A person of mysterious origin claims to have a matching necklace that could link him to Nina, a possibility she refutes at every turn. The mystery and intrigue will keep the reader pressing on for answers. The lyrical and beautiful prose depicting a different life and time will mesmerize.

In Nina's Russia, the reader meets her husband, the famous poet; his associate, the rebellious composer; and Nina's fellow dancers. In that time and place, one's occupation, even that of the artist, was defined by the state; it determined where one lived and how well—and even how one might die. Politics and art were inextricably linked. When the system was threatened, chaos reigned and Nina's life is changed forever.

As the story moves seamlessly from Boston to Moscow, there is an almost cinematic detail in the settings portrayed that is at once informative and entertaining. One can imagine the cold practice halls of the Bolshoi, the cramped living quarters of even the best of the artistic community, the constant fear and paranoia that was present at every encounter, the inability to know who could be trusted. This serves as a grim reminder that while art in all its forms should be a free flowing expression of self and a celebration and sharing of free ideas and ideals, it has not always been so. Thankfully, even in the midst of that cruel existence, Kalotay also observes and honors the enduring qualities of love and family and friendship, which can transcend the worst of circumstances.

Russian Winter is a story of vast proportion, not so much in its size, but in its scope. Kalotay is very much at home with both her Russian and her American characters and their locales. They are very real. The details of the story ring true, and indicate a wealth of background knowledge and study. Her prose, filled with anguish and passion and humor, is a delight to read. If this book is any indication of what might be forthcoming from this author, I am already looking forward to her next offering. (less)

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Sep 05, 2010 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone and book clubs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Daphne Kalotay’s richly narrated debut novel, RUSSIAN WINTER, weaves a multi-layered tale that creatively transports readers from Moscow to Boston, and from past to present. Filled with mystery, conspiracy, and romance, RUSSIAN WINTER gives one a look at the events that fashioned the life of a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet and ultimately determined her fate. From the moment readers meet Nina Revskaya, now in her 80’s, they are whisked away by her story which combines characters and set...more Daphne Kalotay’s richly narrated debut novel, RUSSIAN WINTER, weaves a multi-layered tale that creatively transports readers from Moscow to Boston, and from past to present. Filled with mystery, conspiracy, and romance, RUSSIAN WINTER gives one a look at the events that fashioned the life of a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet and ultimately determined her fate. From the moment readers meet Nina Revskaya, now in her 80’s, they are whisked away by her story which combines characters and settings that keep the best of us captivated by every word.

Nina has contacted an auction house because she has made the decision to sell her incredible collection of jewelry with proceeds to benefit the Boston Ballet. Going through the pieces brings back memories both painful and sweet, reminding Nina of her past and how she was able to defect to the West. As the once lively and gracefully moving legs had carried her across many a famous stage, they now held her hostage in a wheelchair.

The associate director of the auction house, an American named Drew, is fascinated reading through the research on these jewels. Drew tries to trace the history and location of each of the items in the collection but is having trouble with some pieces of an amber colored jewelry. The more Drew tries to get information from Nina, the more she withdraws and becomes upset.

Kalotay takes the story back seventy years to Moscow when a young Nina and best friend, Vera, are first taken to the Bolshoi in order to audition for the school for future ballerinas. This flashback is beautifully written and I felt like I was in Moscow with the young children. At the end of this part, upon returning home, they find that Vera’s parents are gone and no explanation is given to young Nina. She wonders if they were forced to go, or had they left voluntarily to find a better place to live?

It was in Russia that Nina experienced the joy of the theater. It was also where she fell in love with Viktor Elsin, a poet, and conversely where she and her friends Vera and Gersh became victims of the Stalin regime. Nina also made a terrible discovery that provoked an extreme act of infidelity and finally, resulted in providing a chance for Nina to escape to the West which eventually led her to Boston.

As the story returns readers back to Boston, Drew meets Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian language whose past is linked to some jewelry that just happens to match one of Nina’s pieces. Solodin feels that this piece might be the answer to his background and many questions about his life. Of course, when presented to Nina, she denies having anything to do with it.

The climax that Daphne Kalotay created is shocking while also being sheer magic. I read with fear I would find out something I didn’t want to know as I came to care so much for the characters. Yet, also because of that, I HAD to know what all this meant. Reading RUSSIAN WINTER was magical, poignant, spell-binding, and fascinating. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen but in turn, also hated to keep reading as I knew it would eventually result in finishing the book. RUSSIAN WINTER was a trip I would take again and hope that many more readers will get the chance. Daphne Kalotay is a force that the literary world had best be prepared for. I know I will be waiting eagerly for her next work.
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