Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy

Gr 8 Up—Marina studies as a dancer in the Soviet Union's prestigious ballet corps. Her mother's role as the prima ballerina of the company gives her family a certain prestige most Russians would love. Unfortunately, living in the spotlight also means that when Sveta stumbles on some important government information, she is taken away. When Marina and her father learn that Sveta is being detained, they flee the country with not much more than the clothes on their backs, landing in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn. Overwhelmed by culture shock, they find that the Russian mafia controls most of the area. Marina and her father try to adapt; she makes some friends at school and gets an audition at Julliard while her father finds a job as a driver. Things seem better for a while, except for his continuing insistence that someone is spying on them. This compounds the troubling visions Marina continues to have; at one point she "sees" her father's death at the hands of a shadowy someone. Is it Sergei, her handsome dance partner? Could it be one of the crooks who constantly seems to be following her father? The story starts slowly but picks up speed as it moves to an unexpected conclusion. The descriptions of the former Soviet Union in the mid-1980s give some fascinating background information but might not be enough for readers who lack the historical perspective. The twists and turns, as Marina tries to decide whom she can really trust, keep readers guessing right up to the end, just as a good spy novel should.—Diana Pierce, formerly at Leander High School, TX