RUSSIAN WINTER: MY REVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDED
RUSSIAN WINTER
BY DAPHNE KALOTAY

MY REVIEW:

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.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARK AND MY FRIENDS
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS EXCITING
NEW BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:
BONUS ENTRIES

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE REVIEW OF RUSSIAN WINTER AND IF IT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THE BOOK AND READ IT OR NOT

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ANOTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. FOR EACH ONE YOU HAVE ENTERED, COMMENT SEPARATELY AND THEY WILL EACH COUNT FOR BONUS ENTRIES

+1 MORE ENTRY: GO TO ONE OTHER STOP ON THE BLOG TOUR AND COMMENT THERE AND COME BACK AND TELL ME WHICH STOP YOU WENT TO. PLEASE TRY AND VISIT THEM ALL BUT ONLY COMMENT ON ONE FOR ME HERE!

BONUS ENTRIES: WATCH FOR THE AUTHOR INTERVIEW IN A FEW DAYS AND COMMENT THERE TO GAIN EVEN MORE EXTRA BONUS ENTRIES!

GIVEAWAY ENDS

6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 19!

GOOD LUCK!

BLOG TOUR: The Blog Tour for this Fabulous Book includes the following sites so please visit them to see all they have to say about this WONDERFUL BOOK!

8/30/10	Story Circle Book Reviews	Review & Interview
9/2/10	Book Loons	Giveaway
9/2/10	Bookin’ With Bingo	Review & Giveaway
9/5/10	Lisa’s Other Bookshelf	Review
9/6/10	Bookin’ With Bingo	Interview
9/7/10	S. Krishna’s Books	Review & Giveaway
9/7/10	Book Club Girl	Review
9/8/10	Beth Fish Reads	Review
9/8/10	Reading Group Guides	Guest Post
9/9/10	Reading the Past	Review
9/9/10	Booking Mama	Guest Post & Review
9/12/10	Sophisticated Dorkiness	Review
9/13/10	Lori’s Reading Corner	Review
9/14/10	Living Read Girl	Review