acrostical 's review for:

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

4.0

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The more lukewarm reviews about this book I read, the more I realize how much I really liked it. Sure, there were some clunky turns of phrase, and the big event that brought the story to a close was a bit melodramatic. But the selfishness of the characters -- that was the whole point. That wanting a career in ballet pretty much required these women to lose their humanity. That as much as ballet is symbolized by the women involved, it's still a world where the patriarchy shapes everything. It was obvious that the author has spent a lot of time in that world, and in Paris, and with frenemies, and I just loved how real that was.