City of Night Birds

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Natalia Leonova's talents were once celebrated across Europe, her grace and artistry in demand on stages from St Petersburg to Moscow to Paris. But when a devastating accident leaves her unable to dance, Natalia is left unmoored in St Petersburg, the city that made her a ballerina. Soon, the ghosts of her former life begin to resurface: her loving but difficult mother, her absentee father, the friendships destroyed by her single-minded ambition. Above all, she is haunted by Alexander and Dmitri, the two gifted dancers who led to her downfall. So when Dmitiri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia to return to the stage in her signature role of Giselle, she must decide whether she can live without ballet, and how much she is willing to sacrifice to get back on stage. Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which cutthroat ambition, ever-shifting politics, and sublime artistry collide,City of Night Birdsunveils the making of a dancer with both profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.

Reviews

'Shimmering, seductive characters dance across the pages...Absorbing and passionate.'Meng Jin, author ofSelf-Portrait with Ghost

'Meticulously researched, brutally frank, and deliciously glamorous,City of Night Birdsenraptures as thoroughly as the ballerina at its beating heart.'Rachel Lyon, author ofFruit of the Dead

'A beautifully crafted must read.City of Night Birdsis a book that lingers long after the final pages have come and gone.'Jason Mott, author ofHell of a Book

Author Bio

Juhea Kimis the author of the novelBeasts of a Little Land(Ecco 2021), a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She earned her BA in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University. Her writing has been published inGranta,Times Literary Supplement, TheIndependent,Zyzzyva, Guernicaand elsewhere. Born in South Korea and raised in Portland, Oregon, Kim now lives in London.