Playing a Part
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
The first young adult novel translated from Russian, a brave coming-out, coming-of-age story.In June 2013, the Russian government passed laws prohibiting "gay propaganda," threatening jail time and fines to offenders. That same month, in spite of these harsh laws, a Russian publisher released PLAYING A PART, a young adult novel with openly gay characters. It was a brave, bold act, and now this groundbreaking story has been translated for American readers.In PLAYING A PART, Grisha adores everything about the Moscow puppet theater where his parents work, and spends as much time there as he can. But life outside the theater is not so wonderful. The boys in Grisha's class bully him mercilessly, and his own grandfather says hateful things about how he's not "masculine" enough. Life goes from bad to worse when Grisha learns that Sam, his favorite actor and mentor, is moving: He's leaving the country to escape the extreme homophobia he faces in Russia. How Grisha overcomes these trials and writes himself a new role in his own story is heartfelt, courageous, and hopeful.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Given the relative rarity of English translations of international YA fiction, first-time author Wilke's coming-of-age story is a bold and welcome addition. Grisha is a Moscow teen who attends high school by day and volunteers at a puppet theater by night. The novel confronts Russian homophobia (and made headlines when it was originally published amid the enactment of laws forbidding the distribution of gay "propaganda" to minors), particularly through Grisha's encounters with bullies at school; Grisha's unwillingness to kiss a girl on a dare and his involvement with the theater are enough for the students to tease him, believing he is gay. Grisha's grandfather also figures importantly as Grisha grapples with his sexuality: "When I'm next to him, I always feel like something's wrong with me. That I'm worse than I really am." His uncertainty about his feelings for an actor named Sam unfold gradually, with Wilke allowing space for Grisha to better understand himself. Grisha's voice is authentic and soulful, and his descriptions of the vibrant world of the puppet theater, his refuge, are sumptuous. Ages 12 up.
