The discreet advertisement in The Times; addressed "To Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine"; offers a small medieval castle for rent; above a bay on the Italian Riviera. Four very different women - the dishevelled and downtrodden Mrs Wilkins; the sad; sweet-faced Mrs Arbuthnot; the formidable widow Mrs Fisher and the ravishing socialite Lady Caroline Dester - are drawn to the shores of the Mediterranean that April. As each; in turn; blossoms in the warmth of the Italian spring and finds their spirits stirring; quite unexpected changes occur.
#339664 in eBooks 2015-04-06 2015-04-06File Name: B00YO957UQ
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Pain of Following Your DreamBy BirkeThis book makes you feel the physical exhilaration of dance; as well as the overwhelming pain. Characters are vivid; like Daniela who jumps out a window to become the Firebird of Russian lore. Fortunately; she recovers like a Phoenix from the ashes. The funniest character is the Freudian quack; Dr. Hagen; who demands that girl Friday Renee DAoust ghostwrite a conference paper for her. Renee holds down 8 part-time jobs at once; including as a bathroom attendant for a catering company. She witnesses the tearful grief of a mother; whose daughter marries a rich man who does not love her. However; it is Renees passion for modern dance which drives this powerful memoir. Anyone who has avidly pursued a dream can identify with the sacrifice; frustration; and occasional triumphs depicted here.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Western Girl in New York CityBy Brent MannOccasionally Ill be channel surfing and Ill come across a dance performance on PBS; and when this happens; I always keep right on surfing; because; frankly; I have absolutely no interest in watching dance of any kind. As an art form or even as a form of entertainment; dance -- be it modern; ballet; tap; ballroom -- has never spoken to me and it never will. And yet; here is this memoir by Renee DAoust called "Body of a Dancer" that really speaks to me. Why is that? Because; for me; this highly readable book is not about dance at all; its about daily life in New York City; and thats a topic that never fails to grab my attention as a reader.What Im saying is this: here is a book that on its surface would seem to only have appeal to readers with a deep interest in dance (especially Modern Dance); but the dance aspect is; at least for me; pretty much beside the point -- this is a book with appeal whether youre a dance fan or not. Sure; I definitely got a solid look into what its like to study Modern Dance in Manhattan at the famous Martha Graham Center; and that was fascinating reading. But more than that; I received excellent insight into what it was like for a young woman from the West Coast to arrive in New York City in the early 1990s and make a go of it -- the unusual temp jobs; the long walks to save subway fare; dancing/busking outdoors in a park with friends on a humid day."Body of a Dancer" is among the best memoirs Ive ever read; and I particularly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in reading about day-to-day life in New York City.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating glipse into a dancers worldBy ambivalentmaybeLike a previous reviewer; I am not myself terribly interested in either ballet or modern dance. Still; I found this book fascinating. The author does an incredible job communicating in subtle ways the constant awareness of ones body that; together with the grueling workouts; constant injuries; and need to completely subjugate ones will; makes being a dancer so exhausting. Its not a lament; though. The author also does an excellent job evoking the thrill of dancing as movement. Its not something I ever really thought could be done as well in writing; but DAoust makes you feel the emptiness and exhaustion of a professional dancers life; and yet still want to dance. Its an amazing book; whether youre interested in dance or not.
