SALE ON NOW! PROMOTIONS

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

City of Night Birds

A Reese's Book Club Pick

Juhea Kim

$39.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English
Oneworld Publications
15 July 2025
Natalia Leonova's talents were once celebrated across Europe, her grace and artistry in demand on stages from St Petersburg to Moscow to Paris. But when a devastating accident leaves her unable to dance, Natalia is left unmoored in St Petersburg, the city that made her a ballerina. Soon, the ghosts of her former life begin to resurface: her loving but difficult mother, her absentee father, the friendships destroyed by her single-minded ambition.

Above all, she is haunted by Alexander and Dmitri, the two gifted dancers who led to her downfall. So when Dmitiri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia to return to the stage in her signature role of Giselle, she must decide whether she can live without ballet, and how much she is willing to sacrifice to get back on stage.

Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which cutthroat ambition, ever-shifting politics, and sublime artistry collide, City of Night Birds unveils the making of a dancer with both profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.
By:  
Imprint:   Oneworld Publications
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 153mm,  Spine: 32mm
ISBN:   9780861549948
ISBN 10:   0861549945
Pages:   368
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Juhea Kim is the author of the novel Beasts of a Little Land (Ecco 2021), a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She earned her BA in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University. Her writing has been published in Granta, Times Literary Supplement, The Independent, Zyzzyva, Guernica and elsewhere. Born in South Korea and raised in Portland, Oregon, Kim now lives in London.

Reviews for City of Night Birds: A Reese's Book Club Pick

'Juhea Kim's escapist second novel takes you deep into the corps of the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg... [Kim] writes lush prose buttressed by vivid detail.' Vogue 'Shimmering, seductive characters dance across the pages... Absorbing and passionate.' Meng Jin, author of Self-Portrait with Ghost 'A gorgeously written tale... Well-researched and immersive, the book is a testament to Kim's lifelong admiration of ballet.' Ms. Magazine 'Meticulously researched, brutally frank, and deliciously glamorous, City of Night Birds enraptures as thoroughly as the ballerina at its beating heart.' Rachel Lyon, author of Fruit of the Dead 'A beautifully crafted must read. City of Night Birds is a book that lingers long after the final pages have come and gone.' Jason Mott, author of Hell of a Book 'Riveting... Kim weaves in plot threads involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the tabloid press, and celebrity parties, as well as complications related to various expressions of sexual desire to show that no form of art can exist separately from the complexity of life... Another brilliant page-turner from Kim... Written in sumptuous prose, Kim’s novel is a feast for the senses.' Kirkus (starred review) 'A sweeping portrait of an artist-as-a-young-dancer rich in all the intricacies of perfecting art and performance against relentless odds, physical, emotional, and so deeply personal.' Booklist 'Kim delivers all the juicy drama readers have come to expect from a ballerina’s tale... The results will likely keep dance fans ravenously turning pages... A welcome addition to the literary dance cannon.' Los Angeles Times 'City of Night Birds is a deeply emotional portrayal of a dancer past the peak of her abilities, trying desperately to regain her sense of self after her body, her loved ones and her life’s work have let her down... Utterly immersive...  For anyone who has ever been transfixed by the stage, City of Night Birds is not one to miss.' BookPage 'Kim's lyrical, cinematic writing kidnaps the senses from the moment they meet protagonist Natalia Leonova... The greatness of City of Night Birds made this reader lament its ending, and hope for another Juhea Kim novel, and another.' Washington Post


See Also