The Last Days Of The Romanov Dancers

It was 1914 in Petrograd and Luka Zhirkov was nervous as he walked into the rehearsal room. His lifelong dream had always been to dance. Now he’d been given the chance to dance with Romanov’s Imperial Russian Ballet and he knew that he could go far if he was accepted. His awe at the beauty and talent of Valentina Yershova when he first saw her was such that his desire to dance as her partner one day was foremost in his mind.

Valentina was one of the many who had a protector – a man who would own all but her heart. As Luka’s talent grew and his contract was renewed, so too did his admiration for Valentina grow. But they both knew it was a useless fantasy – Maxim would never let her go; in fact, he could ruin Luka’s career quite easily. Luka was also burdened with guilt over his role in the war that had invaded Russia – his brother had gone to fight for his country; his father was proud of his soldier son, and ashamed of the son who danced while the country suffered.

Poverty and starvation were rife through the streets of Petrograd and when the revolution took hold, the danger was there for all to see. What would be the outcome for the members of the Imperial Ballet and all its dancers? And would Luka and Valentina ever know happiness?

The Last of the Romanov Dancers is the debut novel by Aussie author Kerri Turner, and it was an exceptional read in my opinion. Based on many facts – as told at the end of the novel – I found it to be a poignant, heartbreaking and intriguing historical novel which I thoroughly enjoyed. Well researched, the lives of the characters in war torn Russia were chaotic and filled with envy, jealousies and hate. But above all, their love of the dance shone through. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.