Heads up on the narrative perspective, which is third person omniscient. I'm finding that I don't like that perspective, especially when the author explains to the reader more than the characters know about themselves. I also felt a lot of the character building was again, more the author telling than showing. However, the plot itself was compelling, so I'd recommend this book to anyone who is looking for sibling dynamics + historical fiction.

I had hoped this would be a good fit for me but it was very slow moving. Too slow for me. I did enjoy the ballet aspects.

Thank you to Mariner Press for this ARC I received through my book club! As a former dancer, this one really hit home for me. It was full of nostalgia for my years destroying my feet in pointe shoes and living in leotards. And there are lots of fun little easter eggs for those of us who speak the language.

Maya & Natasha follows orphaned twin sisters in Soviet Russia who grew up at the Vaganova Ballet school. It's a sweeping novel that tells the story of the all consuming nature of being an artist, betrayal, learning what it means to get what you thought you desired, and discovering what love truly means.

I loved how detailed Elyse Durham was when it came to the balletic terms and descriptions. She really did her research here and it showed. I felt like I was at the barre with the students or on the stage. There is a specific hunger that coming of age dancers have, and Elyse writes so viscerally about that experience. I could feel the desperation and naiveté of the characters at 17 - when you think you know everything and are invincible.

And as all dancers do, they grow up. Getting everything you want and living your dreams isn't always what you think it will be like. Elyse ripped out my heart many times during the story, knitted it together, and ripped it out again. Having this story set against the backdrop of the Soviet Union gave this another level of depth that makes it not just a story about ballerinas.

My main criticism of the book was the writing tense. I would have loved more insight into how the sisters were feeling throughout. I felt like I was a bird flying over everyone at times by getting everyone's passing thoughts as opposed to being inside the brain of our main characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed Maya & Natasha. If you like historical fiction, stories about the arts, family drama, sisterhood, and stories that span many years then you should absolutely read this book!

A compelling debut novel. This is the story of twin sisters, born in Russia. Daughters of a famed prima ballerina, who has an untimely death. Their mother‘s friend takes the girls in. They are raised to be ballerinas. They enter the Vaganova Ballet hoping to follow in their mother’s footsteps.
They both want to dance with Kirov and tour America. A new law is enforced by the Kremlin, not allowing family members to travel abroad at the same time for fear of deflection. The Kirov can only choose one sister. Who will they choose and who will remain in Russia?
Maya and Natasha have always been very close. Their relationship is tested as one sister betrays the other.
This is the heartbreaking story of sisters love and betrayal. It is a captivating novel with vivid descriptions of the Soviet Union and the United States relationship during the Cold War. I loved learning all about the history of ballet.
A heart wrenching story.
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner books for this advanced readers copy.

As Nazi tanks roll toward Leningrad in August 1941, an unmarried nineteen-year-old ballerina gives birth to twin girls in the soon-to-be besieged city. Bereft of hope, the dancer—once a rising star at the Kirov—slashes her wrists, but her babies survive, rescued by the devoted friend who arrives just too late to save their mother. The friend, too, is a dancer with the Kirov, and her tutelage and self-sacrifice ensure that the girls, Maya and Natasha, become students at the Vaganova Academy after the Siege of Leningrad is broken.

We meet the twins as they enter their senior year in 1958. At once inseparable and competitive, Maya and Natasha have developed quite different personalities, with Natasha the leader and future star, Maya her loyal follower. But as they turn seventeen, various factors pull them apart: boys; the changing climate of Khrushchev’s USSR; and the approaching end to their schooling, which even in a state-run economy doesn’t guarantee anyone a specific place in the world. But it’s when the state declares that, in response to recent defections by artists to the West, only one member of any given family can join the Kirov Ballet that Maya and Natasha must confront the reality that one sister’s success will come at the cost of the other’s. How each of them responds to that challenge drives the rest of this thoroughly engrossing novel. And although neither girl really recognizes it until near the end of the book, the choices each makes are driven at least in part by their determination to fulfill the goals their mother never had the chance to achieve.

I hope to chat with the author on the New Books Network (link below) in February 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Maya & Natasha chronicles the lives of its eponymous characters, two extremely talented ballet dancers growing up in Leningrad at the end of the 50s, at the height of the Cold War. They are both training for a future professional dancing career when they learn that only one of them is allowed to be hired by the most elite Russian ballet group. When one of the sisters makes a choice to take fate into her own hands, their lives irrevocably change and we follow them throughout the subsequent years of their lives, as they deal with the ramifications of their choices.

This was a very captivating, enjoyable debut novel. I loved the vivid descriptions and sensory details included by the author, that made me really feel like I was a silent observer in this cutthroat world; cutthroat in the sense of the deep dedication it requires to be a professional ballet dancer and also the pervasive, frightening reality of what it meant to live in Soviet Russia. The author did not sugarcoat the realities of the time and I could easily sympathize with the very real fears of the characters, as they navigated an extremely tense environment.

I cared about the characters in the book and felt that they were well fleshed out. By the halfway point in the book, once we get past the life altering rift between the sisters, the book just flowed so well for me until the end— it was so captivating and enjoyable to read. There were several times where the story was so convincing that I had to question what was factual and what events the author made up— the authors note at the end provides full context and information but, it all felt very real to me. The book was clearly well researched and I felt that the historical elements of the book were well balanced with the characterizations and emotional aspects of the story. Truly a wonderful debut, I look forward to reading what this author puts out next.

Overall, I would recommend this book to historical fiction and women’s fiction fans. Readers will not be disappointed!

Be ready to enter the fascinating world of ballet but watch your step because you are in the frightening setting of totalitarian Soviet Union during the Cold War era. This amazing debut held my interest on so many levels. On the surface, it tells an intriguing coming of age story from the perspectives of twin sisters that are both enrolled in the famous Vaganova Ballet Academy. Each sister individually faces heartache, betrayal, and redemption. The plot is expertly set with satisfying twists and turns.

The story also unveils the crucial world events of the era, such as Kennedy’s Cuban missile crisis as well as the significant ballet stars of the 1950s, most notably George Balanchine. These events and historic personalities are seamlessly woven into the story. I felt totally immersed in the politics, culture, and artistic innovations of the world in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Congratulations to author Elyse Durham for a wonderfully crafted novel. Her knowledge of ballet, Cold War politics, and family relationships are solid. She is not heavy handed with the technical information but well balanced throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy of this novel.

Twins Maya and Natasha are born as the Germans seize Leningrad in 1941. and their mother, a rising star in Kirov Ballet, immediately commits suicide. Rescued by a friend, they are raised in Soviet times to become students at the premier Vaganova Ballet Academy. As their final year is coming to a close it is made clear that only one sister will be accepted in the Kirov's company, a much sought after position of status in the USSR. When tragedy strikes one twin and their opportunities appear to switch, leaving one sister to tour the world and the other to recover from grave injury only to never dance again. As the Cold War affects their lives and careers, one sister ponders the responsibility of an accident that might have been planned while the other struggles to find meaning in the life she has made. Reunited years later, the tables are turned and soon both are left to ponder their life choices. Well paced and told with aplomb, the story examines themes of East vs. West, authoritarianism, as well as "haves" and "have-nots" in a unique way as historical fiction.

Maya & Natasha tells the story of orphaned twins, raised by their godmother and the Vaganova Ballet Academy during the Soviet regime. Natasha has always been the leader, dreaming of bigger things and feeling a pull towards her great destiny. Maya would follow Natasha anywhere, but feels herself being left behind and tries to fill the void with her dancing. The sisters enter into their final year at the academy to learn that the Kirov, the best ballet company in the country, will only accept one of them for fear of defection. This is an exciting story of family, ambition, and betrayal rooted in the history of the Soviet Union.

This book started out a little bit slow, but I really got into it as the story got going. The story itself spans decades and continents, but it does a great job of focusing on the characters at the heart of it all. All of the characters were flawed, but you couldn't help but root for them. I could tell that Durham did a lot of research into what life was like in the Soviet Union during this time and she did a great job of giving life to the setting and the historic figures in the story. I think this will be a great book for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and those who enjoy historical fiction.

MAYA & NATASHA centers on Russian twin sisters who are both in training at the Vaganova, the school for the
world famous Kirov Ballet. They are the best of friends as children, but as they near the end of training, Maya fears that Natasha may defect when the ballet tours, and does something diabolical to sabotage her sister’s dream of becoming a soloist. Thus begins a rift that is irreparable. Their lives diverge , and their fates seem to always be on opposite trajectories— when one is happy, the other is miserable and vice versa. The two women navigate personal and professional obstacles separately, but the other twin is forever present in their minds.
Debut author Elyse Durham does an excellent job of bringing the reader into the world of professional ballet—the commitment required, the inevitable jealousy and envy, as well as the daily grind of it all. The book also immerses the reader into the thick of The Cold War, and how tension between the US and Russia were reflected in all aspects of life, including movies and ballet. The book mixes fictional characters with actual historical figures and events, and makes for a very compelling read.

This heartwarming book takes us from 1941 when twins Maya and Natasha are born to a prima ballerina in Leningrad Russia, who takes her own life shortly after their birth.
They are raised to be ballet dancers in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Maya and Natasha take different paths in life-one choosing freedom in the west and the other one staying in the Soviet Union.
This is a tale of loyalties to country, but most of all the bonds of being sisters.

Maya and Natasha are twin sisters born into the competitive world of ballet in the Soviet. From fear of deflection a new law is passed where family members may not travel together, which now makes them compete with each other.

Anyone who likes epic dramas revolving around sisters, will enjoy this. There’s so much that makes it interesting; the Cold War setting and what it’s like to live under Kremlin, and the details of professional ballet. To me this book was broken into two parts, before and after. In the after the girls are older and I didn’t enjoy this half quite as much. It was slower than the first half for me. I enjoyed learning of their two different paths though and how they come together.

“They were all being pitted against one another, turned into animals - a crowed of starving circus bears, charging after a single bowl of food.”

Maya and Natasha comes out 2/18.

For twin sisters Maya and Natasha, there is only one future: born the daughters of a ballerina during the Siege of Leningrad and raised in the theatre, they have never known anything but dance. Natasha is the fiery one and Maya the quiet one, and they dream of dancing together in the Kirov—until they learn that the Kirov, which tours internationally, will take only one of them to lessen the risk of defection. And so the fabric of their lives begins to unravel.

"Being seventeen is an exercise in cruelty. Those unfortunate enough to be so know a little of the world, a little less of love, and less still of themselves, but not enough of any of these to avoid heartache." (loc. 891*)

I love ballet books, despite having no ballet background myself; I loved this one more for its so specific time and place as context. Were Maya and Natasha being raised in the ballet world in, say, contemporary New York, their trajectories would be wildly different than they are here; even if they found themselves competing for the same roles or the same company spot, their options beyond that company spot would be quite different than they are deep behind the Iron Curtain.

"But the senior dancers busied themselves the same as always: they went to class; they leapt and spun and were commended; they stumbled and were scolded; they sat in history class and pinched their legs to try to stay awake; they stole naps in the library between classes; they snuck away to the storage closets and made love to each other, or pressed an ear to the door and listened to lovemaking and wished they were the ones inside; they ate too much; they ate too little; they sewed ribbons onto new pairs of pointe shoes and seared the ends with matches; they lifted rusty dumbbells in the gymnasium; they fell into bed and slept so hard it made them, somehow, more tired." (loc. 898)

The plot spans decades, starting as Maya and Natasha are born and then skipping ahead to their last year at the Vaganova (a, or perhaps the, premier school of ballet in Russia) and on through what follows. They are such distinct personalities, and I suspect that readers will each find themselves sympathizing more with one character over the other—and that which character you sympathize more with will tell you something, if something small, about yourself.

What is evident is how difficult it is to envision an outcome of their final exams and audition for the Kirov that will not devastate one—or both—of the sisters. It's a system set up...well, not for failure, but it's a system that ignores the humanity and personal desires of artists; there's a certain ruthlessness required in order for one to succeed, and for Natasha and Maya the questions becomes not just what but whom they are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their own futures.

"How quickly the rest of it happened was a great surprise to Maya, and something she would marvel at for years afterward—how everything in your life can change in the span of time it takes to wash your hair." (loc. 3598)

All in all, an excellent debut.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Maya and Natasha are twins abandoned by their mother during the siege of Leningrad in 1941. Now, in 1958, they are seniors at The Vaganova Ballet Academy which makes them eligible to compete to dance with the Kirov Ballet and join the company on its tour to America the following year.

A new Kremlin law prevents two family members from the troupe to travel abroad together because of feared defection. As a deterrent, if one defects, the family that remains in Russia is punished.

Although the tension between Maya and the man who loved her was lacking, it was countered by the depth of Natasha explaining how the clinical explanation of her injuries differed from recounting to her lover the events in her life that led up to the injuries. The distinction was poignant.
It seemed like no matter how the sisters’ actions hurt each other, they only served to bring them toward a moving conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publisher for an advance copy of this novel.

An absolutely beautiful debut -- ballet, historical fiction, politics, twin sisters torn apart by circumstance, and the tiniest dash of War and Peace. As we pass back and forth between Maya and Natasha's stories, we see two women, broken by time and circumstance, find their own individual moments of peace and triumph. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

calling all ballerinas, this is a fabulous read! Post WWII, Soviet Union. Two sister are deserted by their mother, a Prima Ballerina with the Kirov Ballet, and taken by a family friend. THe girls are enrolled in the Vaganova Ballet Academy and ask to tour with the company year later. In political ballet piece, your heart will pull for these girls. I loved every page!

This was a beautifully done story from Cold War Soviet and I always enjoy the Ballet elements to that concept. I was invested in the sisters bond and how everything was realistic and well written. The rest of the characters were wonderfully done and was engaged with the story overall. Elyse Durham has a strong writing style and can’t wait for more from the author.

“Maya & Natasha” by Elyse Durham is an absolutely fantastic story of family loyalty and betrayal in the brutal world of ballet. The story revolves around twin sisters born in Soviet Russia during the Cold War who were fortunate enough to study ballet at the famed Vaganova Academy. Bound emotionally together because of the suicide of their mother, we follow their journey through the rigorous years of training to the ultimate audition in their senior year for the one coveted spot in the country’s famed ballet company. As their relationship cracks and they begin to betray each other to further their careers, the reality of the unforgiving world they live in is mesmerizing.
The author did an exquisite job of adding the historical content into her beautiful prose. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel, I loved every word and and would give this more than 5 stars if I could.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the eARC. I am rounding the book up to 3.5 stars.

The book was very interesting of how the ballet world operates in Russia. Therefore, it led to the family dynamics between the twin sisters. Later, each sister got to experience their own path separately. Overall, a good book to read.

Maya & Natasha by Elyse Durham is a great historical fiction that takes place in during the Cold War era.

This is a book that is not just about eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the dramatic Cold War years, but also about family dynamics and tested relationships.

Maya and Natasha are sisters that through internal and external circumstances are tested in many ways. Trust, loyalty, love, loss, and what we in the end truly choose as our path are all concepts that are tested and delivered within this novel.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Mariner Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/18/25.