Hannah Ward has always wanted to be a dancer. Intense, exhausting, exhilirating, terrifying, and insanely competitive, Hannah can't imagine any other life - and she's never wanted to. Moving to New York on her own to attend the Manhattan Ballet Academy when she was 14, Hannah is now a senior corps member with the Manhattan Ballet who dreams of becoming a soloist - along with every other girl in the company.Dancing 12 or 14 hours a day in classes, rehearsals, understudy training, and nightly performances means Hannah's whole world is contained within the walls of the theater. Which is okay with her - all her friends are total bunheads too. Sweet, supportive best friend Bea, snarky, spoiled Zoe, and tiny Daisy with her crazy diets. There's also Harry the stagehand and his 9-year-old daughter Matilda, who worships Hannah and wants to become a dancer just like her. Still, there are things Hannah would like to do - like go to the Met, finish a book on her reading list, and have a boyfriend.
And then Hannah meets Jacob on a rare night out (if hanging out at her cousin's restaurant counts as going out). A musician who goes to NYU, Jacob is super-cute, funny, sweet, and totally into Hannah. He also knows nothing about ballet, which is kind of refreshing. Better yet, he loves sharing his non-ballet world and knowledge with Hannah. Still, with Hannah's crazy schedule, she and Jacob really only have time to text and email.
When Hannah lands the solo in one of the ballets she's understudying when the lead gets injured, she just knows it's going to be her year. But becoming a soloist means giving up even the small moments of free time she has - and giving up Jacob. Even when she isn't rehearsing or performing, she has to hit the gym, take Pilates and Bikram yoga classes, deal with her theater laundry and costumes, do physical therapy for injuries, and count every calorie to keep her dancer's body perfect. Hannah has never questioned her decision to devote her life to ballet - until now. Is ballet enough? Is the outside world really worth giving up everything she's worked so hard for?
A unique look at the inside world of professional ballet dancers, first-time novelist Sophie Flack danced with the New York City Ballet for nine years. Glitz and glamour, sweat and sacrifice, leg warmers and leotards, sequins and false eyelashes, pulled hamstrings and blown-out quads, kind costume designers and cruel choreographers spill off the pages. If you loved the movies Center Stage, Fame, Black Swan, took dance lessons as a kid, or can't get enough of The Nutcracker (which, by the way, dancers totally can - 50 performances between Thanksgiving and New Year's get reaaaallly old), check out Bunheads @the library!
Megan
(who is totally making Maggie Stiefvater's November cakes from The Scorpio Races this weekend!! Oh, sweet deliciousness of oozing honey and frosting...)