Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead
In the 1970s, ballerina Joan Joyce helps Russian superstar Arslan Rusakov defect. She is sort of a nobody dancer who will never be a great name in ballet. And she wonders why he chose her to help him defect. They have a hot affair that quickly burns out, she leaves the ballet world and marries an old hometown friend
who's in love with her, though the feeling isn't reciprocal when they marry. Years later, her only son Harry turns out to be a ballet prodigy, which throws the whole family back into Arslan's orbit.
It wasn't the best book I've read lately though it wasn't the worst either. Part of the problem is that you never really feel like you know the characters. Joan is not a very sympathetic heroine. (Her husband Jacob is the most likable character in the book and you kind of feel like he deserves better than a life with Joan.) The big "secret" wasn't much a secret and you kind of wonder why it took everyone so long to figure it out.
For a book that gave a better look into the life of a ballet dancer, I would suggest Dancing on My Grave by Gelsey Kirkland.
who's in love with her, though the feeling isn't reciprocal when they marry. Years later, her only son Harry turns out to be a ballet prodigy, which throws the whole family back into Arslan's orbit.
It wasn't the best book I've read lately though it wasn't the worst either. Part of the problem is that you never really feel like you know the characters. Joan is not a very sympathetic heroine. (Her husband Jacob is the most likable character in the book and you kind of feel like he deserves better than a life with Joan.) The big "secret" wasn't much a secret and you kind of wonder why it took everyone so long to figure it out.
For a book that gave a better look into the life of a ballet dancer, I would suggest Dancing on My Grave by Gelsey Kirkland.
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