A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
I am Sarah. I am sixteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by all the amazing stories built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.
As a dancer, I know the feeling of the steady drum of music that nudges my feet to move, my body to sway, my soul to dance. And after reading the book, you can know it too.
Veda is a classical dancer in India, and she lives and breathes her movement. It is the thing that makes sense to her, her purpose in life. So what happens when, after winning a Bharatanatyam competition and knowing her career has only just begun, a car accident steals her lower leg, and, apparently, her dreams?
Padma Venkatraman knows that dance is more than the body you were born in; that if it lights your soul on fire, nothing will stop you. If that means starting over in beginner classes, enduring stares and endless questions, falling on your face from a prosthetic that will never truly replace your leg, so be it. The fire will pick you back up, every time. A Time to Dance is the beautiful story of a girl rediscovering her passion, her spirituality, her love, and her grief through the one thing that feels more vital than air. This novel in verse is, in a matter of adjectives, wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant, and passionate. In simpler terms: you should really read this book.
