Saturday, July 31, 2021

ASTONISH ME, by Maggie Shipstead

    


Literature -- 3 stars

Joan is a young American ballet dancer, destined to remain forever a member of the corps.  In 1975 she has a few fleeting months of fame after being part of a team that helps Arslan Rusakov defect from his native Russia.  Later she gives up the world of a professional dancer, marries her childhood best friend, and moves to California where the couple raises their son, and Joan opens a dance school.  But Arslan Rusakov isn't done with Joan or her family just yet.  -----  Interesting, conflicted characters move through and around the world of professional ballet giving the reader a peek into a closed culture that lives by its own rules.  There is a nice twist at the end followed by a satisfying ending.  A quiet book to fill a few peaceful afternoons. 

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