Rating: Recommended
HarperCollins, 2006
ISBN: 006075593
Grade level: 4-6
The Turning is a companion novel to National Book Award-winner Gloria Whelan's breathtaking epics Angel on the Square, The Impossible Journey, and Burying the Sun. It offers a riveting portrait of a nation and a young woman at a time of her life when she is growing up and dealing with decisions and possibilities for major change. The story is about a ballerina from Russia who, in 1991, is leaving Leningrad forever. She hopes to be chosen for a French tour, and by leaving Russia will be able to escape the KGB and defect to France. It is not an easy decision, and it is not an easy task. The turmoil within this young girl is beautifully described in Whelan's lyrical prose. The book is a gem and will be added to Whelan's list of well-written and popular novels for children and teens. Highly recommended.
Reviewer: Ruth Callahan - OCPL/Rancho Santa Margarita
