Ballet Dreams and Buried Secrets in Soviet Russia
Harriet Parsons sets a coming-of-age story inside the discipline and sacrifice of a Russian ballet school. Hope and Emily’s dream opportunity becomes a test of friendship, identity and endurance, while Hope’s return to her birthplace gives the story a deeper emotional charge.
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Ballet Dreams and Buried Secrets in Soviet Russia
Harriet Parsons sets a coming-of-age story inside the discipline and sacrifice of a Russian ballet school. Hope and Emily’s dream opportunity becomes a test of friendship, identity and endurance, while Hope’s return to her birthplace gives the story a deeper emotional charge.
- Book Synopsis
-
It’s 1991; at a Russian ballet school, ballet is everything – beauty, perfection, endurance, sacrifice ... When Dublin girls Hope and Emily are chosen to study at the famous Pavlovgrad Ballet School, they think all their dreams have come true, but the challenges they face will be harder than they could ever imagine. Daily life in the Soviet Union is like stepping into another world – freezing winters, sugar shortages, boarding at school with the Russian ballet students – but the chance to learn from the best, and the chance to become the best, makes all the sacrifice worthwhile. Or does it? For Hope, adopted from Russia as a baby, returning to the country of her birth to fulfil her dream of becoming a ballerina uncovers secrets buried deep…
Ideal for readers who:
- Are drawn to atmospheric coming-of-age stories where ambition asks a heavy emotional price.
- Love rich ballet fiction shaped by strict discipline, deep friendship and fierce competition.
- Are intrigued by the premise of Dublin teenagers navigating the realities of 1991 Soviet Russia.
- Value gripping historical fiction full of psychological pressure, resilience and buried family secrets.
- About The Author
- HARRIET PARSONS once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Her dream came true when she was accepted to study at the Perm Ballet School in Russia. When she graduated from the school, Harriet danced with the Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, and then Moscow City Ballet. Bluebird is inspired by her time at ballet school in Russia. When she hung up her pointe shoes, Harriet trained as a psychotherapist, and now works for Bodywhys, The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland. She lives in Dun Laoghaire with her family including her dog, Alfie, and Maine Coon cat Maggie.
- Product Details
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- ISBN
- 9781788496018
- Format
- Paperback
- Publisher
- The O'Brien Press, (01 September 2026)
- Number of Pages
- 368
- Language
- English
- Dimensions
- 196 x 129 x 22.5 mm
- Categories: