City of Night Birds

A Novel

Juhea Kim author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Publishing:16th Jan '25

£18.99

This title is due to be published on 16th January, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

City of Night Birds cover

In City of Night Birds, Natalia Leonova faces a life-altering decision as she returns to ballet after a tragic accident, confronting her past and the people who shaped her.

In City of Night Birds, a once-celebrated ballerina grapples with a pivotal decision that could alter the course of her life. After a tragic accident derailed her career, Natalia Leonova returns to St. Petersburg, the city that holds both her dreams and her demons. Now, she finds herself trapped in a cycle of substance abuse, desperately trying to escape the haunting memories of her past and the expectations that weigh heavily on her shoulders.

As she navigates her old surroundings, the ghosts of her previous life begin to emerge. Natalia's complicated relationship with her mother, her distant father, and the two dancers who played significant roles in her rise and fall come rushing back. Among them is Alexander, the love of her life, who inspired her artistry, and Dmitri, a brilliant yet dangerous figure who offers her a lifeline back to the stage. This unexpected proposition forces Natalia to confront the very people who contributed to both her greatest triumphs and her deepest failures.

Juhea Kim’s City of Night Birds vividly captures the fierce world of Russian ballet, where ambition and artistry intertwine. Through Natalia's journey, the novel explores themes of love, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit, inviting readers into a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences that define the life of an artist. With its profound intimacy and sweeping narrative, this novel is a poignant reflection on the complexities of identity and the pursuit of passion.

“Shimmering, seductive characters dance across the pages of City of Night Birds, immersing you in the ecstatic, brutal world of a prima ballerina fulfilling her most beautiful and terrible ambitions. In this absorbing and passionate novel, Juhea Kim writes with fierce emotional intelligence about the darkness and desire that drive art and love, asking, What does it take to live a life beyond your wildest dreams?” — Meng Jin, author of Self-Portrait with Ghost

ISBN: 9780063394759

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 25mm

Weight: 454g

320 pages