''Letters from Yelena'' (2012) was the second 'breakthrough' novel by English writer

Guy Mankowski Guy Mankowski (born 6 January 1983) is an English writer. He is the great grandson of the author and broadcaster Harry Mortimer Batten. He was educated at St John's College, Portsmouth and Ampleforth College. He read Applied Psychology at Dur ...

Development

The book was the second novel of Mankowski's to be published by

Legend Press Legend Press is an independent British book publisher founded in 2005 by Tom Chalmers, specialising in original fiction, crime thrillers, and a Legend Classics series. In 2011, they were shortlisted for the Independent Publisher of the Year and ...

. To develop this

epistolary novel An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters. The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings, and sometimes considered ...

he was awarded a grant by the

Arts and Humanities Research Council The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), formerly Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB), is a British research council, established in 1998, supporting research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities. History The Arts an ...

, allowing him to interview Russian ballerinas at the

Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. Established in 1738 during the reign of Empress Anna, the academy was known as the Imperial Ballet School until the Soviet era, when, after a brief hi ...

and the

Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Synopsis

The novel opens with a series of letters between a Natalya Brodvich and the executor of a literary estate she is negotiating with. Natalya is desperate to get hold of a set of letters which are the only trace of her departed mother, Yelena. Once Natalya successfully acquires them, we begin to read Yelena's letters. We learn that she was a psychologically damaged ballerina who tried to map out her mind through letters to a novelist called Noah, who became her lover. The letters chronicle Yelena's childhood in

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...

, and how she escaped abuse at the hands of her stepmother. The story follows her training as a ballerina in

, hoping to achieve her ambition of becoming a

principal dancer A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of '' soloist''; however, p ...

and performing the lead in ''

Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...

''. Inspired by a poem by

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

, ''Giselle'' tells the tale of a young girl who dies after being seduced by a nobleman. From beyond the grave, Giselle saves her lover from a death sentence by vengeful spirits. As her life progresses, Yelena sees more and more parallels between her life and the life of Giselle.

Reception

A review from Novel Kicks said 'I did struggle through the first few pages but I am glad I stuck with it as I found it to be a beautifully written story with convincing characters and a good if sometimes heartbreaking plot. Yelena's journey is compelling…I found that I couldn't put it down. Overall, a great novel from Mankowski'. A review from The Simple Things said 'Mankowski brings every bruised and strained limb to life, and takes the always present fascination with the torments of ballet dancers, from The Red Shoes and The

Black Swan (film) ''Black Swan'' is a 2010 American psychological horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky from a screenplay by Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin, and Andres Heinz, based on a story by Heinz. The film stars Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis ...

, and adds a bit of a romantic twist.' New Books magazine called it 'a truly wonderful epistolary novel…with its dark thematic intensity of child abuse leading the main protagonist Yelena into self-harming, and ultimately suffering mental health problems', adding 'considering that the author is male, he has managed to capture a realistic portrayal of a female ballerina as she strives to reach her desired goal of performing Giselle.' Dora Frankel created a dance based on a pivotal scene from the book, in which the lead was performed by Argentinian dancer Laila Sanz. An excerpt of the novel was used as GCSE training material by Osiris Educational. The novel was one of the titles chosen to be given away by Virgin Trains for 'World Books Day'. In 2022 an analysis of the depiction of Russia on the website 'Russia In Fiction' by author of 'Inside Russian Politics' Edwin Bacon wrote that the books ‘well-crafted descriptions of setting briefly bring Russia to the fore’ but concluded that ‘its force and focus lie in a story of hurt and passion, grief and love, determination and fragility. Guy Mankowski crafts moments that make us want to cheer, and moments of heart-stirring sadness. That they have a Russia connection is a cause for Russia in Fiction’s gratitude.’

References

{{reflist 2012 British novels English novels Epistolary novels Fiction set in 2012 Novels set in Saint Petersburg