A Time to Dance (Nancy Paulsen Books Penguin Random House, 2014) by Padma Venkatraman is a novel in verse that takes one directly to life in India. Veda has a passion for dance, Bharatanatyam dance specifically. Not that her mother approves. And now that she’s won the competition her career can really start off. But a tragic accident takes the teen’s right leg below the knee. How can she still dance with only one leg?
The story is inspirational as we accompany Veda on her journey of recovery. What Veda says sums it up, “…dance isn’t about who you are on the outside. It’s about how you feel inside.”
I love what Padma says on her blog about books being more than mirrors or windows–read it here. You can hear Padma herself on her website in the Q&A section, plus there are TV interviews here.
I already recommended Padma’s book Island’s End here. Her first novel, Climbing the Stairs, is set during WWII.