The Fern Flower
Russia 1908-1917
Every good folktale reveals villains and heroes. Mila Belova’s world is overflowing with both.
Born into privilege as the daughter of the Tsar’s favored vodka maker, Mila appears to have everything: wealth, status, and a household devoted to her happiness. But behind the gilded doors of her family estate, she is trapped by the cruelty of a stepmother whose greatest wish is to give birth to her own child.
Each summer on Ivan Kupala Eve, Russia turns its gaze to river bends and forest floors in search of the legendary Fern Flower—a mythical bloom said to grant fortune, power, and the deepest desires of the heart. Only one person had ever found it.
Until Mila.
Years later, in the fading grandeur of Petrograd, Mila and her friends slip into the fabled Stray Dog Café, once the sanctuary of Russia’s most daring artists and dreamers. Inspired by its ghosts, murals, and memories, Mila's group resurrects the work she'd first imagined as a child. The Fern Flower is a breathtaking ballet drawn from folklore, magic, and the secrets of Mila’s past.
But in the fiercely competitive ranks of the Imperial Ballet School, talent is never enough. Though Mila wrote the ballet and her gifted musician friend composed its score, rivals question whether Mila is worthy of claiming the coveted lead role.
As World War I intensifies and revolution ignites, the Russia Mila knows begins to collapse. Family secrets surface, loyalties are tested, and the people she loves begin to disappear. When her parents flee and her young brother’s life hangs in the balance, Mila is faced with an impossible choice: remain with the found family who helped her chase her dreams or risk everything to save the person who needs her most.
With Russian folklore, imperial grandeur, and the fierce beauty of ballet, The Fern Flower is a sweeping tale of ambition, friendship, sacrifice, and the magic that survives even when the world is falling apart.
"For the second time in her young life, Mila would have her heart shatter like winter ice splintering under a spring sun."
Mila Belova's story begins in Saint Petersburg on New Year's Eve 1908. Having lost her Mama a year earlier, she lives for her walks with Papa, talking about her. They wander ice-covered streets, arms linked, watching skaters and gazing at Grusha, the Moon. That's where Mila expects her mother to be, near Grusha, keeping an eye on her. The thought comforts her.
When her father promises a New Year's Day surprise, she dreams of puppies or nice things...
What she doesn't expect is the shock arrival of a new mother – Maman! Mila's small world shatters as she begins to realise that her father's attention is now no longer focused on her. And her first encounter with her new French Maman – heiress to a champagne dynasty to complement the thriving vodka family business – is not going well. As many a young child dealing with such drastic change, Mila vents her anger, and gives the gifts Maman presented her with to the poor.
This first meeting is crucial to the plot, as their volatile relationship weaves a fragile thread – delicate and easily broken – through the novel. One can't blame poor Mila, whose world is turned upside down. No more leisurely walks with Papa, reminiscing about Mama. Soon after, he barely even acknowledges her, as he puts his wife's needs first. And Maman's needs are all-consuming!
Mila tries hard, encouraged by their trusty housekeeper, Mrs Vesna, and her beloved American nanny, Lottie. But Maman's frequent mood swings and heavy drinking soon leads to Mila tiptoeing through the house as not to upset her. But even the best will in the world would never placate a woman out to destroy a little girl's life.
When her dream of joining a renowned ballet school comes true sooner than expected, Mila is torn between sadness of leaving home, and excitement. But practice is tough and relentless, and she finds herself taking the teacher's harsh words to heart. Bullies soon find a nickname for her: Betula (birch). Only her friendship with senior dancer, Kira, and her old friend Galena, a gifted musician, keeps her going through the years.
One summer, Mila and Galena spot an elusive fern flower during Ivan Kupala Night, and an idea takes shape in their heads – together, they would write a ballet. With Galena's musical talent, and Mila's vivid choreography, the project keeps the girls occupied whenever they meet.
But as revolution threatens her dream of becoming ballerina assoluta in Russia, and events begin to overtake themselves, Mila's life changes irrevocably.
And she learns the hard way who to trust.
Will Mila’s dream come true, or turn into a nightmare? I thoroughly recommend you read the novel to find out.
The Fern Flower by Kathleen Shoop is nothing short of exceptional. At around 600 pages, it is a very long novel, and it takes readers a while to digest everything that's happening.
This is a story to be savoured slowly, not to be rushed. It is nuanced and captivating, like watching a wonderful ballet performance. If you take your time with it, you are drawn into a world of dreams and hard work, of realisation and loss, and of the cruellest treachery imaginable. But it is also a tale of fulfilment, courage, and capability, and of true friendship.
Mila is a troubled soul, mourning the loss of her mother, and having to deal with the changing attitude of her once doting father. For a young girl, this cruel change of the life she has known is a stab in the heart. It is therefore not surprising that she hardens her heart, her mind filled with self-doubt. As the story progresses, we feel clearly her anxiety, her loneliness and shattered hopes. When realisation dawns, it is a more mature Mila who doesn't shy away from the truth, and who learns very fast.
The myth of the fern flower is based on a Russian tale, and its meaning in Mila's life weaves a beautiful thread through the novel.
At times, the point of view switches from Mila to Grusha, the Moon, for gentle, distant observation. These glimpses from above add a caring touch to the narrative. Mila is not alone. Grusha – and, by comforting association, her Mama – are watching over her. Grusha's prose adds a most beautiful touch to the novel. As a reader, it's time to breathe out.
The characters in The Fern Flower are incredibly realistic. Mila tugs at our heartstrings, whilst Maman gives us the chills. Lottie is the no-nonsense nanny-turned-seamstress, and Kira the ambitious dancer, at any cost even to herself. All these characters become real people as we turn the pages, and we care about (some of) them like they are family. And yes, there will be tears.
The research Ms Shoop has undertaken is mind-blowing, filling the pages with intricate details of life in early 20th-century Russia. The strict ballet school; summers at the family's dacha and crisp winters in frozen Saint Petersburg; the artists at Circus Ciniselli; the growing revolution with its shifting attitudes and growing dangers towards anyone deemed ’privileged’ – Ms Shoop brings it all cleverly together in a breathtaking, evocative coming-of-age saga.
Yes, it is a long book, filled with incredible detail, which may not have needed every scene. But it is first and foremost the tale of a small girl who captivates us from beginning to end.
The Fern Flower is a novel of hopes and dreams, hardship, change, and loss – and of love that transcends family. It captures you the moment you start reading. Deeply moving and utterly enthralling, it is easily one of the best novels I've read this year.
But make sure to savour it slowly, then it unfolds its delicate petals beautifully, just like the mythical fern flower.
An exceptional novel.
Review by Cathie Dunn
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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