Maya and Natasha: A Cold War Novel of Twins and Ballet — Review
Book cover image from Harper Collins
Sibling bonds are special and resilient, but twin bonds? Some see them as mystified and close to magic. So, what would it take to stretch them, push them, or even break such bonds? Can extraneous pressure really shatter twins’ relationships?
Published in February 2025, Maya and Natasha is Elyse Durham’s debut novel. Set in the Soviet Union, the book follows twin sisters from their tragic births, to their tumultuous senior year at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, and throughout their respective careers.
Durham explores the Cold War from its two fronts — the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. — and most importantly, the kind of relationships it brews: treacherous, distant, and strained. Maya and Natasha go through their own cold war, signifying just how fragile relationships in the Soviet Union are.
Both sisters dedicate their life to becoming ballerinas worthy of a spot at the Kirov, the premier Soviet ballet company, in honor of their mother, a former star ballerina. However, fear of defection leads to a new rule that multiple members of the same family cannot be selected for the Kirov in anticipation of a tour of the West.
Maya and Natasha, twins once loyal to each other, are forced to become rivals by the Motherland.
Having never danced before in my life, my only knowledge of ballet comes from Aronofsky’s 2010 film Black Swan and all the Tchaikovsky I absorbed during classical music training. Yet even without that background knowledge, the tense rivalries between the characters and the ritualistic nature of ballet practice immersed me in the competitive spirit of Vaganova and the craft.
Written in third person omniscience, Maya and Natasha peeks into the minds of various characters beyond the twins, ranging from their Vaganova classmates to Stalin himself.
Though interesting, the constant shift in point of view creates a shallow depiction of scenes at times. But when told from Maya or Natasha’s viewpoint, the story immersed me in the internal battle between the sisters and the world around them.
I absolutely adored this novel and Elyse Durham’s writing. Despite the difficulty of creating a historical novel, Durham skillfully depicts the love, jealousy, and other complexities of a twin sisterhood influenced by trauma, distance, and forgiveness.
Although I got the book through my local library, Maya and Natasha is available for purchase at all major retailers and makes for an engaging, contemplative read.
Need some more great reads this fall? Check out these reviews!
- Invisible Kitties – A Book Review
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- Fight Write – Writing Craft Book Review
- The Gold Permission – A Book Review
- The Black Swans of Harlem – a Ballet Book Review
Zina Mona
Zina Mona is a writer and student from Texas. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the Trinity Review and 34 Orchard. She studies literature and economics, but in her free time, she loves watching Audrey Hepburn movies.
Visit her website to read more!
