Early praise for Russian Winter
"Kalotay develops a neat narrative of deception and betrayal that takes in great strands of literary and political history.... [A] complex story that, in the end, boils down to the simplest of elements: love, fear, disappointment and loss. An auspicious first novel, elegantly written and without a false note." STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Review
“Kalotay has created appealing, well-rounded characters in well-researched settings…. This is a briskly paced, fresh, and engaging first novel dealing with the pain of loss and the power of love.” —Michele Leber, Booklist
"Daphne Kalotay writes about her characters—artists struggling to dream and survive within the constraints of the Stalinist regime—with sensitivity, humor, and wisdom. I believed in these characters and cared about their fates.... A captivating and entertaining read." —Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
"Tender, passionate, and moving, Daphne Kalotay's lovely debut novel about ballet, jewels, love and betrayal is also a delicious form of time travel, transporting the reader between the shabby, scary glamour of Iron Curtain Russia and modern-day Boston. I loved being int he intricately connected worlds of Russian Winter, and I was sad to leave them when the book was over." —Jenna Blum, award-winning author of Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers
"Daphne Kalotay captivates in a soaring debut novel. An elegant, compelling puzzle of family, memory and solitude that brings to life modern day Boston and postwar Russia through a profound love story. Graceful, moving and unexpected." —Matthew Pearl, bestselling author of The Dante Club and The Last Dickens
"Russian Winter is a marvel that had me canceling appointments and staying up half the night, as it swept me into a world of intrigue, poetry, and romance. Set against the perfection of ballet, the harships of life in teh Soviet Union after World War II, and the anguish of families lost and found, Russian Winter reminds me of why I love to read fiction." —Lauren Belfer, bestselling author of City of Light and A Fierce Radiance
"Kalotay makes a powerful debut.... [An] entrancing story thanks to a skillful depiction of artistic life behind the Iron Curtain and intriguing glimpses into auction house operations." —Publishers Weekly
Praise for Calamity and Other Stories
"Superior fiction. Forget the flashy epiphany, the Kodak moment. Kalotay prefers the glancing accumulation of detail, which pays off to impressive effect." —Los Angeles Times
"Kalotay's collection builds force so quietly that when all the characters appear together in the final story you're stunned—by how well it works and by how familiar these women now feel." —New York Times Book Review
"Like short-story collections by Alice Munro and Lorrie Moore . . . Lovely [and] comic." —San Francisco Chronicle
"[A] delicately graceful debut. . . . Capturing her characters at different stages in their lives, Kalotay artfully crafts her book around their metamorphoses, both big and small." —Publishers Weekly
"Contemplative, melancholy, yet not without humor, these are well-made fictions on a delicate scale that subtly demonstrate such truths as the persistence of character and the endurance of friendship." —The Boston Globe
"Compassion is at the heart of Kalotay's polished stories, as are a subtle sense of humor and appreciation for the complexities of human emotion." —Booklist
"Daphne Kalotay's stories ... are old-fashioned in the best sense of the word, plainspoken and melancholy, about ordinary people struggling with the trials of ordinary life. Few writers I know speak ... with such clear-eyed compassion, such quiet humor and grace." —Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer PrizeÐwinning author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake
"Daphne Kalotay's characters are unique, flesh-and-blood New Englanders, people you often find yourself rooting forÉ. [Her] collection of short stories is well-worth reading." —Charleston Post and Courier
"Poignant and splendid stories... [Kalotay] makes it easy for us to identify with the connections and relationships that she has created because they feel genuine and palpable." — Lancaster Times & Clinton Courier
"These stories, simply told and insightful, make for entertaining reading...." —The Sunday Oklahoman
"Twelve straightforward narratives about love and longing alternate among three main characters who all come together in the final story, creating a connectedness that feels satisfying and organic rather than forced. This debut collection is deftly written and emotionally astute." —2005 Story Prize committee
"Daphne Kalotay pursues the ongoing arc of her characters' lives in subtle, languid, sometimes oblique ways." —The Improper Bostonian
"Kalotay's stories offer an intimate glimpse at ...the absurdities and delights of an ordinary life." —The Virginian-Pilot
"...the truths here are subtly scattered in a delicate way that will leave you contemplating her stories long after the book is finished." —Bay Windows
"Short stories brimming with subtle humor and interesting ironic twists..." —EDGE New England
"I found a book of short stories that I actually enjoyed —and not just because there was a picture of a cupcake on the cover." —Gwinnett Daily Post
A Boston Herald and Vancouver Sun "Editor's Choice" selection
A Poets & Writers Magazine 2005 "Notable Book"
