A Dance of Sisters

by Tracey Porter

Book Overview

I want to stretch to the moon, Delia thought. Far, far away. Twelve-year-old Delia Ferri doesn't remember her mother, or her family the way it used to be. All she knows is that her sister, Pearl, and her father are fighting more and more. Pearl is withdrawn and angry, so Delia vows not to give her father anything else to worry about. Delia loses herself to the rigorous world of ballet, and only when it has consumed her completely does she begin to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064407519
• ISBN13: 9780064407519
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A good story about ballet, growing up, and family issues.

This book is about two sisters, Delia and her older sister Pearl. Their mother died when Pearl was very young. While Pearl is still having trouble dealing with the death of her mother, their father deals with it by avoiding talking about her, and Delia dives into ballet. Her new teacher is very strict and warns all her girls about being fat. While Delia gets better at dance, she also starts to starve herself and does nothing but dance. Pearl meanwhile withdraws from her family becoming rebellious and failing school. This story is as much about dance as it is about the survival of a broken family. This is a very good book that slightly older children will enjoy and even learn from. I recommend it to all who like books about ballet, dealing with family issues and growing into an adult.

Destined to Dance?

This is the story of two sisters, Delia and Pearl. Their mother died when they were little and they are left to live with their father. Pearl is not coping well with the death of her mother especially since her father does not know how to communicate with her. She really needs to talk about her mother but there is no one to listen, Delia is too young to remember. Instead their father ships Pearl off to a boarding school. Delia is dealing with her own problems. Her one true love is dancing and she got accepted into a prestigious dance school with a very strict Madame. Madame has rules about being too fat in her class so Delia does whatever is necessary to make sure she stays thin. Unfortunately she is not doing whatever is necessary to stay healthy. This is a great book for young girls dealing with life and its twisty turns. It shows that things do not always happen as planned but sometimes that can be a great thing. There is always something that can be learned from any situation. You will cheer for this family and maybe even cry too as this family tries to sort out their differences.

Share This "Dance"

"A Dance of Sisters" is a poignant look at one girl's somewhat estranged family and her newfound passion for ballet. After the death of their mother, two sisters become closer, with the younger sister looking up to her older sister more than words can express. Their father, though he loves his daughters, becomes more distant as he grieves for his wife, removes her pictures from the house walls, and throws himself into his thriving business. Fast-forward years later: The younger sister, Delia, is in middle school. She's a good girl, but doesn't have any notable hobbies - except for dancing. Suddenly, the local mainstream dance school with its yearly corny recitals are not satisfying enough for her, and she decides to pursue ballet exclusively. She enrolls at a prestigious school taught by a Madame who strictly adheres to the classic type of ballet instruction. As Delia's love for ballet deepens, she starts having her own life - and her own secrets. Meanwhile, Delia's older sister is getting kicked out of school after school due to her behavior. She is not a felon nor a threat to anyone, simply a free spirit who does not want to conform. She dresses in dark clothes that she reshapes and redesigns. She dyes her blonde hair black. She truly cares for her little sister, and still loves her father, but she too has distanced herself from her family, feeling as if she is the only one who truly remembers her mother. Sent off to a new school, she expects nothing, but surprises herself and everyone else when she ends up with a new interest - taming a horse that was said to be untameable. I recommend this book to a wide audience. This book is not just about ballet, nor solely about parents and children grieving over a loss, but rather about honoring those memories while making new ones. Each character finds something he or she is passionate about. The dynamic between the characters is realistic and the plot is interesting and familiar without being cliché. You will root for this family to come back together, and you will want each person to become stronger in his or her own way.

A Dance of Sisters is A Terrific Book

This was a great book which shows what you may have to go through to become a top ballet dancer. It's about Pearl and Delia, two sisters who are very close. When they were very young, their mother died and left their dad to raise them. Pearl becomes a strange, eerie person who seems to think life would only be worth living if her mother was alive, so she gets sent to boarding school by her father. Delia, however, misses her sister very much, but has found her spot in the world of ballet dancing. She had been taking classes at the Elanova School of Ballet, a prestigous dance school. Soon after two months of dancing there Delia was picked to be taught by Madame Elanova, the head directer and teacher. Delia enjoys dancing, but it was taking a huge toll on her life. She lost too much weight, she got sick, and every spare moment she had was filled with dancing. She realizes at the end that she cannot put up with ballet and feels like she dosn't need it in her life. Read the book to find out what happens in the end!