This book really grew on me. It has a slow start, but once it got going, it captured my attention and didn't let go. Maya and Natasha are twin sisters, born to a ballerina in Russian's premier ballet company during the siege of Leningrad. After their mother dies, the twins become students at Russia's most prestigious ballet academy. As Maya and Natasha near graduation, they learn that due to new Soviet restrictions, only one of them can be admitted to Russia's premier ballet company. We follow them leading to and in the aftermath of that announcement.

This book explores a complicated, codependent sibling relationship where they both are at once imminently likable and pretty horrible people. It asks questions about what you would do in impossible circumstances with impossible decisions, and it takes place during an extremely volatile time in our history - the cold war leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I loved learning about the ballet world, and the author described Maya and Natasha's inscrutable bond so well. The pace definitely picks up as you go, and the plot is fascinating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!