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marie_gg's review against another edition
4.0
Bird's most ambitious novel to date; explores the world of New Mexico flamenco and gypsy culture.
chrisralonso's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who is very interested in flamenco, I had to pick up this book. Although my knowledge on the subject isn't very large, I know enough to really enjoy it. The Flamenco Academy is a jewel. I won't spoil anything for anyone, but it is a definite must-read. Love, trust, friendship, history, drama, beauty, all are used cleverly to make this a wonderful page-turner.
I highly recommend this book!
I highly recommend this book!
ekbushnell's review against another edition
4.0
Great story about friendship told through the world of Flamenco - I particularly enjoyed this book having taken Flamenco lessons in College.
brianajae's review against another edition
5.0
This is the third novel I've read by Sarah Bird and I am blown away by how different each of her books are. She creates vivid characters that it is easy to attach to, but each one takes place in a different world, the characters are not only unique to their own book but to her writing as a whole. In this heartbreaking tale of overwhelming love and betrayal, two unlikely best friends grow and blossom together, each learning from the other. The man-stealing is introduced in teh first chapter and as you get to know the characters you can see it's going to happen but, still, I found myself hoping upon hopes that there was a misunderstanding at that vivacious Didi wouldn't really take away Rae's mystery man.
arisbookcorner's review against another edition
3.0
IQ "'Like I said, it's complicated. More complicated than calculus'" He smiled to show he remembered me saying that. 'This is an entire history class. Maybe a major. You have time for the history of a few cultures, a thousand-year exile and some really fucked-up skeletons rattling around a really crowded closet?'" Tomas, pg. 82
I'm torn between how I feel about the characters, I found them to be so extreme that I found it hard to believe that people like them really exist. But you couldn't make this stuff up. This is a story of passion, from the characters to the New Mexico setting to flamenco dancing itself with intervals in the Andalusian region of Spain, it is overflowing with deep, raw emotions. All that emotion and passion can be overwhelming and that's how I felt. There was so much going on in this bok in terms of character development and the epic tale spun by Dona Carlota, it was hard to remember everything and unravel the mystery. There was too much emotion for me to handle at times, haha. Plus I could not understand Rae's obsession with Tomas. Nor did I understand Didi. But I did undrestand why Rae felt so attached to her. Not so important but I couldn't figure out how Didi grew up speaking Spanish and how Rae learned Spanish from Didi's mom if Didi's mom was Filipina...unless Filipinos grow up speaking a variety of languages?
The only other thing that bothered/baffled me was Dona Carlota's mentioning of Federico Garcia Lorca, especially since she fictionalized his death. or got mixed up or...something.
I suspect this book is autobiographical, the details about Rae-Rae are so specific, so unique, her Czech heritage, small-town upbringing. What is remarkable about Rae and the author's writing is that they both seem fully immersed in the flamenco culture. Flamenco purists may sneer at them but they know far more than the average outsider, the tourist. I learned so much about flamenco and Gypsy culture, I had no idea Gypsies came from India. I thought they were Spanish when I was very young (blame a Nancy Drew mystery) and then I thought they were Romanian (no idea where that came from...somewhere I read that they wre called 'Roma'). This book is also peppered with crazy, curse-filled, mesmerizing quotes.
PS Other fave quotes;
"I'm the last person in the world who is going to insist something has to be logical. Logical shit is easy. It's the illogical shit that controls our lives" Didi pg. 119
"Lesile had told me some old hippie saying about how nine times out of ten when someone says they're fine, it stands for Fucked-up, Insecure, Neurotic, and I can't remember what the e was supposed to mean. I was not the one in ten who actually was fine." Rae, pg. 340
I'm torn between how I feel about the characters, I found them to be so extreme that I found it hard to believe that people like them really exist. But you couldn't make this stuff up. This is a story of passion, from the characters to the New Mexico setting to flamenco dancing itself with intervals in the Andalusian region of Spain, it is overflowing with deep, raw emotions. All that emotion and passion can be overwhelming and that's how I felt. There was so much going on in this bok in terms of character development and the epic tale spun by Dona Carlota, it was hard to remember everything and unravel the mystery. There was too much emotion for me to handle at times, haha. Plus I could not understand Rae's obsession with Tomas. Nor did I understand Didi. But I did undrestand why Rae felt so attached to her. Not so important but I couldn't figure out how Didi grew up speaking Spanish and how Rae learned Spanish from Didi's mom if Didi's mom was Filipina...unless Filipinos grow up speaking a variety of languages?
The only other thing that bothered/baffled me was Dona Carlota's mentioning of Federico Garcia Lorca, especially since she fictionalized his death. or got mixed up or...something.
I suspect this book is autobiographical, the details about Rae-Rae are so specific, so unique, her Czech heritage, small-town upbringing. What is remarkable about Rae and the author's writing is that they both seem fully immersed in the flamenco culture. Flamenco purists may sneer at them but they know far more than the average outsider, the tourist. I learned so much about flamenco and Gypsy culture, I had no idea Gypsies came from India. I thought they were Spanish when I was very young (blame a Nancy Drew mystery) and then I thought they were Romanian (no idea where that came from...somewhere I read that they wre called 'Roma'). This book is also peppered with crazy, curse-filled, mesmerizing quotes.
PS Other fave quotes;
"I'm the last person in the world who is going to insist something has to be logical. Logical shit is easy. It's the illogical shit that controls our lives" Didi pg. 119
"Lesile had told me some old hippie saying about how nine times out of ten when someone says they're fine, it stands for Fucked-up, Insecure, Neurotic, and I can't remember what the e was supposed to mean. I was not the one in ten who actually was fine." Rae, pg. 340
abookishaffair's review against another edition
2.0
I'm so torn about this book. On one hand, the writing was really good and kept me reading but on the other hand,the storyline was really bad and almost made me want to stop reading the book. This book tells the story of Rae and her outrageous friend Didi. Basically Rae meets a guy one night who happens to be the best flamenco player in New Mexico. She falls head over heels with him but only sees him that night. She pines for him for 3 and a half years until they meet again. Meanwhile, Rae has taken on Flamenco herself because she thinks that she will be able to find the guy that way. The book goes on and on about her obsession and her negative friendship with Didi.
I'd be interested to read some of the author's other books since the writing was good.
I'd be interested to read some of the author's other books since the writing was good.
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