Publisher's Synopsis
Valentina Yershova's position in the Romanovs' Imperial Russian Ballet is the only thing keeping her from the clutches of poverty. With determination, she has clawed her way through the ranks, relying not only on her talent but her alliances with influential men which grant them her body, but never her heart. Then Luka Zhirkov joins the company, and suddenly everything she has built is put at risk. For Luka, being accepted into the company fulfils a lifelong dream. To his proletariat father, it makes him a traitor. As war tightens its grip and the country starves, Luka is torn between his connection to Valentina and his guilt for their lavish way of life. The Imperial Russian Ballet has become a symbol of Romanov indulgence, and soon the lovers are forced to choose: their country, their art, or each other.
