{"product_id":"9780007525409","title":"Astonish Me","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Shipstead, Maggie\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eModern \u0026amp; contemporary fiction (post c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished on 6 January 2015 by HarperCollins Publishers (The Borough Press) in the United Kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback \/ softback | 368 pages\u003cbr\u003e198 x 129 | 260g\u003cp\u003eThe New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Brilliantly written; the first ballet novel for grown-ups’ THE TIMES\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘A bravura display of high-performance art’ GUARDIAN\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Brims with emotion … an accomplished novel embracing both domestic drama and the competitive quest for perfection’ SUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the shadows.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e After her relationship with Arslan sours, Joan decides to quit ballet and make a new life for herself. But as the years pass, Joan comes to understand that ballet isn’t finished with her yet…\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e From the prize-winning author of Seating Arrangements comes an exquisitely written, fiercely compelling glimpse into the demanding world of professional ballet and its magnetic hold over two generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e ‘Cleverly constructed with some elegant pirouettes of its own’ DAILY MAIL\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘A gripping mix of family drama and insight into the world of ballet’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘Shipstead is a gifted writer who examines families and relationships in a poignant, insightful way’ STYLIST\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘A dazzling story rooted in the competitive world of dance’ WOMAN \u0026amp; HOME\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘So graceful, so dazzling, so sure-handed and fearless, that at times I had to remind myself to breathe’ Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e  ‘I will be paying close attention to Shipstead’s career from here on in’ Jeffrey Eugenides\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shipstead, Maggie","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50666423189688,"sku":"9780007525409","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0509\/1953\/8872\/files\/9780007525409.jpg?v=1734744603","url":"https:\/\/octoberbooks.org\/products\/9780007525409","provider":"October Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}