Elyse Durham's poignant debut novel, Maya & Natasha, follows the intertwined stories of the titular twin sisters, born on the eve of the siege of Leningrad to an unwed ballerina mother who dies soon after. Raised by their mother's dear friend, Katusha, both girls spend their childhoods studying at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, the prestigious Soviet ballet school their mother also attended. But as they grow into teenagers, their smooth pas de deux develops a hitch in its rhythm. When the girls, at age 16, learn that the state will not allow two members of the same family to leave the country together, they realize the implications for their burgeoning ballet careers. Soon afterward, a terrible betrayal fractures their relationship entirely, leaving them to build separate lives. The dance of the following decades forms the centerpiece of Durham's narrative, as she explores how the sisters--even from thousands of miles apart--manage to shape one another's lives.
Durham draws the harsh realities of Soviet life in sharp relief: the pervasive grayness of buildings, clothes, and spirits is only occasionally relieved by the color and light found in the ballet. Natasha tests the boundaries of teenage love and rebellion against the state, and Maya struggles with the pain of living in her sister's shadow. Durham explores the themes of freedom, loyalty, artistry, and motherhood, as well as the fundamental bond that ties the sisters together even after their cataclysmic break.
Heartrending, elegantly told, and full of fascinating detail about the worlds of professional dance and Soviet-era daily life, Durham's debut is a stunning ballet of love, loss, and unbreakable loyalty. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams