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St. Petersburg #4
Turning, The
In the spring of 1991, a Russianballerina dreams of leaving Leningrad -- forever. A member of the Kirov Ballet Corps, Tatiana hopes to be chosen for the troupe's Paris tour. Once there, she will try to escape the watchful eye of KGB agents, defect to France, and leave the complicated politics of the Soviet Union behind. But like ballet, leaving is harder than it looks. Tatiana becomes entangled in her country's struggle for democracy, and her dream of a better life in Paris is soon challenged by hope for her country's future. Tatiana must make a choice, and there will be no turning back. This companion novel to National Book Award winner Gloria Whelan's breathtaking epics angel on the square, the impossible journey, and burying the sun offers a riveting portrait of a nation, and a young woman, on the brink of spectacular change.
224 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2006
16 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Whelan
76 books343 followersGloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods of northern Michigan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 21, 2022
A compelling coming of age story set in Russia 🇷🇺 during the last years of the Soviet Union. Tatiana is a ballet dancer with big dreams to perform in Paris. She evolves so much over the course of the novel and learns the true meaning of home. I love every one of Gloria Whelan’s historical reads, perfect for any avid history lover!
December 22, 2011
Ohhh, this is book 4 of a series of 4. I hadn't realized that.
A simplified (perfect for me!) story of a young ballerina in Leningrad who considers defecting during the political frenzy of the Gorbachev/Yeltsin election in 1991. A pretty fluffy YA novel which I liked just fine except it makes a coup sound like a fraternity party with pizza and sodas.
Tanya's relatives are all cliché symbols of Soviet Union citizens throughout the 20th century: mother's a maid in Hotel Europa, father's an over-worked doctor, grandmother's a poet who knew Akhmatova, Mandelstam, and Yevtushenko; grandfather's "subversive," politically active; great-aunt works at the Hermitage and protected the art during the Great Patriotic War, and those who were alive during the Siege actually survived it. Tanya's boyfriend is an artist who copies icons. Her best friend's father is a covert arms dealer. (I'm telling you so much because I know no one else is going to read this.) And Boris Yeltsin is actually a character in this book, who says: "We will have to find another way to get the truth out. We have to tell them that Gorbachev is under arrest in his dacha in the Crimea, but that the president of Russia, me, Boris Yeltsin, is right here on duty in the parliament..." (Then you expect the Superman theme song to play...)
There is a surprisingly happy ending.
You think everything will be perfect in Russia. Let me tell you there are still plenty of men left in Russia ready to buy and sell the country. Don't think for a minute that the KGB will just give up their power and welcome democracy. How long will it be before one of them comes to power and the repression starts all over again? (Vera to Tanya)
(I didn't know that Peter the Great had all visitors bring three rocks with them to St. Petersburg when it was being built to contribute to the construction of the roads. People who wanted to live there had to bring 100.)
A simplified (perfect for me!) story of a young ballerina in Leningrad who considers defecting during the political frenzy of the Gorbachev/Yeltsin election in 1991. A pretty fluffy YA novel which I liked just fine except it makes a coup sound like a fraternity party with pizza and sodas.
Tanya's relatives are all cliché symbols of Soviet Union citizens throughout the 20th century: mother's a maid in Hotel Europa, father's an over-worked doctor, grandmother's a poet who knew Akhmatova, Mandelstam, and Yevtushenko; grandfather's "subversive," politically active; great-aunt works at the Hermitage and protected the art during the Great Patriotic War, and those who were alive during the Siege actually survived it. Tanya's boyfriend is an artist who copies icons. Her best friend's father is a covert arms dealer. (I'm telling you so much because I know no one else is going to read this.) And Boris Yeltsin is actually a character in this book, who says: "We will have to find another way to get the truth out. We have to tell them that Gorbachev is under arrest in his dacha in the Crimea, but that the president of Russia, me, Boris Yeltsin, is right here on duty in the parliament..." (Then you expect the Superman theme song to play...)
There is a surprisingly happy ending.
You think everything will be perfect in Russia. Let me tell you there are still plenty of men left in Russia ready to buy and sell the country. Don't think for a minute that the KGB will just give up their power and welcome democracy. How long will it be before one of them comes to power and the repression starts all over again? (Vera to Tanya)
(I didn't know that Peter the Great had all visitors bring three rocks with them to St. Petersburg when it was being built to contribute to the construction of the roads. People who wanted to live there had to bring 100.)
August 19, 2012
It was okay.... A little bit more modern than the others in the series and at times a little less appropriate..
It is about a girl who lives in Russia and wants to sneak off to France with her best friend while going there for a ballet tour. She is the granddaughter of Georgi and Yelena, and lives in the 1990's.
It is about a girl who lives in Russia and wants to sneak off to France with her best friend while going there for a ballet tour. She is the granddaughter of Georgi and Yelena, and lives in the 1990's.
October 31, 2025
I absolutely love the first book of this series. This last installment in the series was not disappointing. It was wonderful to get a glimpse into Russian culture of the time, and the inner working of a Ballet troupe. I very much identified with Tanya when she was teaching. Short but lovely.
January 17, 2021
Note: this has some mature content.
December 14, 2015
Skipping a generation in the book series, Tanya is the granddaughter of Georgi. She's a prima ballerina in one of Russia's best ballet troupes, and dancing is, quite literally, her life. Leningrad is still Leningrad, and although Russia is starting to slowly turn towards democracy, many citizens are convinced that the "Red" Russia will never be left behind. When Tanya's friend, Vera, talks of defecting during the ballet troupe's trip to France, Tanya becomes interested and gets wrapped up into it. As the story progresses, Tanya has to make a major decision: to leave her home country, Russia, or to begin a new life in France.
Although I was quite annoyed with Tanya for even considering defecting, especially after learning about her family history and how they had lived through some of Russia's most difficult times, but I grew to like her as the story went on. She has high morals and helps others often, and she's not afraid to go out on a limb for those that she loves. The side plots were some of my favorites, especially the plots involving her boyfriend and his grandmother and the young ballerina at the orphanage. Although this series was an easy read for me, I still think that the characters are formulated enough to create a depth that adds to the meaning of the story.
Although I was quite annoyed with Tanya for even considering defecting, especially after learning about her family history and how they had lived through some of Russia's most difficult times, but I grew to like her as the story went on. She has high morals and helps others often, and she's not afraid to go out on a limb for those that she loves. The side plots were some of my favorites, especially the plots involving her boyfriend and his grandmother and the young ballerina at the orphanage. Although this series was an easy read for me, I still think that the characters are formulated enough to create a depth that adds to the meaning of the story.
September 13, 2016
The characters and the plot were not as well developed as the first two books in the series, which were great. The author often referenced the previous books and relied on that for historical context, which I thought weakened the story.
I also did not like how this main character is much older than the previous protagonists in the series. I would probably let my young reader read the earlier books but not this one as it dealt more with teenage angst, relationships and body image.
I also did not like how this main character is much older than the previous protagonists in the series. I would probably let my young reader read the earlier books but not this one as it dealt more with teenage angst, relationships and body image.
March 25, 2010
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May 17, 2018
This was okay--it was interesting to read about the changeover between Gorbachev and Yeltsin, and to see how that went down with more context. These are names I know from childhood, but without much meaning attached, tbh. So it was informative. And the 1990s picture of Russia, especially after all the previous books in this series and the culture and society they demonstrate. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the plot was as good in this one. It fell flat and was kind of disappointing. On the whole, it was still a good MG historical book (and completely great for M), but it was not quite as good as the previous three, which were top-notch.
December 10, 2022
The final installment of the Angel on the Square companion books. This one was the least cohesive, least interesting, least engaging. This story is about the 6th generation of the family (correct me if I’ve got that wrong). She’s a ballerina in the Russian ballet in the early nineties and she wants to defect because she’s lost hope that Russia will ever be free of communism. Politically, this was interesting because I remember this time in history but experienced it very differently from the main character. Story was meh…would have appreciated a better wrap-up of this “quadrilogy”.
December 22, 2017
I know this is a middle grade series, but this book was so underwhelming. A listless narrative style that jumps from scene to scene, making it almost feel like a stream-of-consciousness novel was my biggest problem. A disappointing end to the series.
Last line:
Last line:
May 27, 2022
I didn’t know that this was a series, but I’m still giving it 5 stars. I found this in a local bookstore and I could really say that this is a really GOOD find. 🌟
I really love the way the author wrote. Very detailed, the kind of writing where you could form images in your head with what they were describing.
I recommend this to anyone who would be interested to read a fictional book that talks about ballet and politics :)
I really love the way the author wrote. Very detailed, the kind of writing where you could form images in your head with what they were describing.
I recommend this to anyone who would be interested to read a fictional book that talks about ballet and politics :)
February 5, 2023
Read to my son.,..Written in the period when Yeltsin was coming to power. A mixture of intrigue and ballet capturing the period when freedom looked possible... An enjoyable story, but probably more interesting to girls due to the many dancing chapters, but the military backdrop, and political descriptions, helped explain the important transition to children of the short lived pre Putin period when Russia looked for freedom.
December 12, 2019
What a great series about the history of Russia. I loved it! There is one part about wanting to buy sexy things in a Paris early on that I wish wasn’t in there but the rest of the book didn’t have anything like that.
March 3, 2021
Fun, classic Gloria Whelan. The fourth in the "Russian saga" and plenty of culture, suspense, etc... That said, as a fourth book is certainly did not have the original power of "Angel on the Square" or "Impossible Journey." I certainly recommend for serious Gloria Whelan fans, but the story is not necessarily a masterpiece.
November 19, 2024
Again, I loved the Russian history of this series. This book, however, was my least liked of the series. I just wasn't that interested in the ballet element, but I do understand it is such a strong part of Russian culture and appreciate how it was a vehicle to fictionalize the times for this book.
February 11, 2018
This series was amazing! I learned so much about Russian History and living conditions there. It gave me an amazing perspective.
March 22, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. This series gives a good story with amazing history.
November 5, 2018
I really liked this book! It was a quick read even with longer chapters. I liked the insider’s perspective on the break up of the Soviet Union.
February 19, 2024
3.5
Some things seemed contrived but overall an interesting story about the fall of Russia.
Some things seemed contrived but overall an interesting story about the fall of Russia.
May 6, 2024
Liked it a lot when I read it for school, although I wish I'd had the first ones to read before hand as they all connect and go together.
April 12, 2021
Amazing story about a teenage girl who wants to defect from Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Russia to Paris. She is an amazing ballerina, has a boyfriend, and a family who talks about politics 99% of the time.
But when she goes to Paris with her ballet troupe, she realizes how miserable she will be there by herself. Will she stay there and follow her dreams, or go back to her home, family, caring boyfriend, and the ballet troupe she's grown up in?
I think that anyone who likes realistic fiction or maybe even historical fiction will like this. This is one of my favorite books.
But when she goes to Paris with her ballet troupe, she realizes how miserable she will be there by herself. Will she stay there and follow her dreams, or go back to her home, family, caring boyfriend, and the ballet troupe she's grown up in?
I think that anyone who likes realistic fiction or maybe even historical fiction will like this. This is one of my favorite books.
August 8, 2013
This was a quick read that gives a taste of what the fall of communism was like for a young ballerina living in the Soviet Union. It did a good job of presenting the many different angles of the political climate and how the changing times affected the diverse demographics (soldiers, common people, the black market, artists, politicians, etc.), although none of these groups gets a lot of exploration. It was fun to be able to spot some of the characters from some of the previous books.
I didn't always agree with the choices the heroine made, or rather, how she went about them, and I felt a little detached from the characters, but I still enjoyed the book. I am wondering: did Tatiana get paid for being a ballerina, and did she ever go to school?
The book is clean, although as it takes place in the '90s there are a few more modern references. I dislike some of them, such as the term "sexy," but as a whole this book is perfectly appropriate for most kids. I was a little alarmed at a passing reference made about the main character limiting her food intake due to needing to keep her weight low as a ballerina. It sounded a little anorexic-ish, but perhaps I'm just over sensitive to that sort of thing.
It seems like there should be another volume between this and the previous book. I wonder why Whelan didn't write one.
I didn't always agree with the choices the heroine made, or rather, how she went about them, and I felt a little detached from the characters, but I still enjoyed the book. I am wondering: did Tatiana get paid for being a ballerina, and did she ever go to school?
The book is clean, although as it takes place in the '90s there are a few more modern references. I dislike some of them, such as the term "sexy," but as a whole this book is perfectly appropriate for most kids. I was a little alarmed at a passing reference made about the main character limiting her food intake due to needing to keep her weight low as a ballerina. It sounded a little anorexic-ish, but perhaps I'm just over sensitive to that sort of thing.
It seems like there should be another volume between this and the previous book. I wonder why Whelan didn't write one.
May 27, 2016
Skipping a generation in the book series, Tanya is the granddaughter of Georgi. She's a prima ballerina in one of Russia's best ballet troupes, and dancing is, quite literally, her life. Leningrad is still Leningrad, and although Russia is starting to slowly turn towards democracy, many citizens are convinced that the "Red" Russia will never be left behind. When Tanya's friend, Vera, talks of defecting during the ballet troupe's trip to France, Tanya becomes interested and gets wrapped up into it. As the story progresses, Tanya has to make a major decision: to leave her home country, Russia, or to begin a new life in France.
Although I was quite annoyed with Tanya for even considering defecting, especially after learning about her family history and how they had lived through some of Russia's most difficult times, but I grew to like her as the story went on. She has high morals and helps others often, and she's not afraid to go out on a limb for those that she loves. The side plots were some of my favorites, especially the plots involving her boyfriend and his grandmother and the young ballerina at the orphanage. Although this series was an easy read for me, I still think that the characters are formulated enough to create a depth that adds to the meaning of the story.
Although I was quite annoyed with Tanya for even considering defecting, especially after learning about her family history and how they had lived through some of Russia's most difficult times, but I grew to like her as the story went on. She has high morals and helps others often, and she's not afraid to go out on a limb for those that she loves. The side plots were some of my favorites, especially the plots involving her boyfriend and his grandmother and the young ballerina at the orphanage. Although this series was an easy read for me, I still think that the characters are formulated enough to create a depth that adds to the meaning of the story.
August 12, 2015
Part of what made this book so interesting to me is that I lived in Germany during the time setting. The book is set in Russia in the 1990s and shows the experience of a young ballerina before and during the end of the iron hold of Communism. Gorbachev had already loosened some restraints and Yeltsin had become the Russian President. Many of the Soviet satellites were calling for independence. The girl is 16 and has a rival in the dance troupe, a boy she cares about but a friend who wants her to defect when they get to Paris for a show. Very good illustration of the types of people, political, and family worries swirling around at this time. This author's historical stories are always well written and enjoyable. (one girl is beaten by her drunk father and going to be sold but rescued, a man cheats people out of painted treasures, a boy paints a fake and may cheat someone) good for 12 and up
Read
November 27, 2011 The Turning was about a girl in Soviet Russia, who was in the Corps de Ballet at the Bolshoi Theater. She danced for hours every day in hopes of getting a spot in the troupe going to Paris, in order to run away and stay there with her friend. But every day reminded her of how much she would miss everything she had left behind, her family and friend who she wanted to marry. After crimes committed and poverty driving her crazy, she decides in a split second while in Paris she will not do it, but only after helping her grandfather complete a secret mission to overthrow communism and save the day. She does just that and suddenly sees a life for her in Russia, while her friend stays in Paris. The girl continues on her quest to become a dancer, and her now boyfriend continues on his to become an artist.
224 Pages
224 Pages
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2009
Love this author! Loved this book. Learned a lot about Russian politics during the change from Gorbacheb to Yeltsin. Even though I was a teenager at the time I didn't know anything except their names. I also am a ballerina at heart so to read about this young ballerina made me feel young again. I only wish she had made the voice of the main girl sound older. She is around 17 I'm guessing but sounded 12-14. A Lot of Whelan's characters are usually a little younger so it surprised me to have an older character. Still loved it though!
March 8, 2014
These books were a little bit below my reading level when I read them, but I still liked them. Reading this series is a great way to learn about the last days of the Czars and the takeover of the communists in Russia.
However I didn't like this book as much as the others because of the main character's selfishness and disregard for her family. The contrast with the previous books is quite surprising; after all (for example) The Impossible Journey is all about the family going to great lengths to get back together.
However I didn't like this book as much as the others because of the main character's selfishness and disregard for her family. The contrast with the previous books is quite surprising; after all (for example) The Impossible Journey is all about the family going to great lengths to get back together.
October 14, 2012
this is a marvelous story about the freedom of dance and how when it's raining hard in your life and when you are stuck in the middle of a storm and don't no how to get out, dance will help, help you to see the sunshine through all of the clouds and rain dance can push out all of the sadness and for that moment while your dancing you can be happy, for once be happy. This story is about a girl who lives to see the sunshine when its pouring down on her world.
August 4, 2014
Like Whelan did in the first book of the series, she did a very good job of explaining the politics of the time in a way that a YA audience could understand. Nice intersection of her characters with historical characters.
However, there was a bit of feeling of "not quite right" in a lot of her portrayals.
A nice ending to the storyline, though, and I greatly enjoyed the stories. She's definitely a YA author I will keep an eye out for - she's written several that look good.
However, there was a bit of feeling of "not quite right" in a lot of her portrayals.
A nice ending to the storyline, though, and I greatly enjoyed the stories. She's definitely a YA author I will keep an eye out for - she's written several that look good.
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