A Letter for Daria

Russian figure-skating champion Gordeeva follows up My Sergei, a tender tribute to her late husband and skating partner, with this equally sentimental collection of musings and advice for her daughter, Daria. Within a very loose chronology, Gordeeva shares memories of Daria's birth in 1992 and the hectic but happy family life she enjoyed until Sergei Grinkov's sudden and unexpected death three years later. But this is no maudlin recounting; Gordeeva reflects on the joys of her life and clearly expresses her hopes and dreams for her daughter in encouraging, nurturing words. Readers will take away a strong sense of family--especially in passages where Gordeeva stresses the importance of Russian babushkas (notably her own grandmother and great-grandmother) as an essential support system, and will detect their loving bonds in the numerous color photographs. The book has a rambling feel with no formal organization, and phrasing and sentence structure occasionally remind readers that English is not Gordeeva's native language. But regardless of format, Gordeeva's sincerity shines through and her life philosophy is one that will inspire many. Ages 8-up. (May)