Ballet Orphans -- Ballet Theatre Chronicles -- A Prequel
It's 1990, and New York soloist April Manning is trying to rebalance her world in the aftermath of her parents’ deaths. An offer to join the struggling West Coast Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer seems like the perfect opportunity for a fresh start—a new life in San Francisco, an exciting step up in her career, and the hope of a redefined sense of family. But the other dancers are wary, clannish and tight-lipped, particularly about an incident that hastened the departure of their beloved artistic director, leading to the arrival of his replacement, the young, inexperienced Anders Gunst. And no one wants to talk about Jana, a former company member who defiantly walked out rather than work under Anders. It is Jana herself who offers April hints, and even friendship, where she reveals a loneliness and hunger to belong that newly orphaned April well understands. But there is something troubling about Jana, and what April doesn’t know could prove deadly.
A prequel to the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, BALLET ORPHANS explores the work and sacrifices required to arrive at the highest tiers of the professional ballet world, coupled with the primal, universal desire to belong, to love and be loved, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we call family.
A prequel to the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, BALLET ORPHANS explores the work and sacrifices required to arrive at the highest tiers of the professional ballet world, coupled with the primal, universal desire to belong, to love and be loved, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we call family.
Praise for Ballet Orphans |
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“A stimulating and entertaining tale in which passion and art intermingle.”
— Kirkus Reviews
— Kirkus Reviews
“Terez Mertes Rose makes dancers of us all. She ushers us behind the scenes of the gritty and glamorous world of ballet and captivates us with a story that is ultimately about universal themes of loss, hope, belonging, and what makes a family. I took up residence in the pages of this book and didn’t want to leave.”
— Kelly Mustian, author of The Girls in the Stilt House
“In this compelling prequel to her Ballet Theatre Chronicles series, Rose once again immerses us in the fascinating, inner workings of a professional ballet company. Concurrently, the issues of loss and the search for family are beautifully and tenderly addressed. The unique personalities among the characters are depicted so clearly, they seemed like real people to me. I missed them when the story ended. A powerful, engaging read you won’t soon forget.”
— Grace Harsted, author of Invisible Woman: a Birth Mother’s Memoir
“Terez Mertes Rose’s descriptive writing leaps off of the page and takes you on a journey through protagonist April Manning’s eyes. I could identify with her struggles and achievements and I rooted for her along the way. A recommended read for all, dancer and non-dancer alike."
— Lauren Jonas, Artistic Director, Diablo Ballet
“Under conditions of unrelenting minute-to-minute competition in an art form brutally monetized at the box office, male dancers and artistic directors become protagonist April Manning’s enablers onstage, and potential disablers in life. In the absence of an actual family, this fraught configuration of artists and business-savvy angle-shooters, becomes hers, with all attendant “family values” at work. Whether your remove comes from the vantage point of two-to-six degrees of separation or you are the dancer who has lived this ‘What I Did For Love’ experience, you’ll find that Rose’s every chapter could be a lusty, gusty, entry in and into your very own diary.
— Toba Singer, author of Fernando Alonso, the Father of Cuban Ballet and First Position: a Century of Ballet Artists
“What I love about Terez Mertes Rose's novels are her achingly relatable characters and their complex fully-realized relationships. No matter the setting in the ballet world, Africa, or even the early 90s of Ballet Orphans, I quickly fall into the rhythm of her narrative and enjoy the ride.”
— Leigh Purtill, author (as Cat Jordan) of Eight Days on Planet Earth
— Kelly Mustian, author of The Girls in the Stilt House
“In this compelling prequel to her Ballet Theatre Chronicles series, Rose once again immerses us in the fascinating, inner workings of a professional ballet company. Concurrently, the issues of loss and the search for family are beautifully and tenderly addressed. The unique personalities among the characters are depicted so clearly, they seemed like real people to me. I missed them when the story ended. A powerful, engaging read you won’t soon forget.”
— Grace Harsted, author of Invisible Woman: a Birth Mother’s Memoir
“Terez Mertes Rose’s descriptive writing leaps off of the page and takes you on a journey through protagonist April Manning’s eyes. I could identify with her struggles and achievements and I rooted for her along the way. A recommended read for all, dancer and non-dancer alike."
— Lauren Jonas, Artistic Director, Diablo Ballet
“Under conditions of unrelenting minute-to-minute competition in an art form brutally monetized at the box office, male dancers and artistic directors become protagonist April Manning’s enablers onstage, and potential disablers in life. In the absence of an actual family, this fraught configuration of artists and business-savvy angle-shooters, becomes hers, with all attendant “family values” at work. Whether your remove comes from the vantage point of two-to-six degrees of separation or you are the dancer who has lived this ‘What I Did For Love’ experience, you’ll find that Rose’s every chapter could be a lusty, gusty, entry in and into your very own diary.
— Toba Singer, author of Fernando Alonso, the Father of Cuban Ballet and First Position: a Century of Ballet Artists
“What I love about Terez Mertes Rose's novels are her achingly relatable characters and their complex fully-realized relationships. No matter the setting in the ballet world, Africa, or even the early 90s of Ballet Orphans, I quickly fall into the rhythm of her narrative and enjoy the ride.”
— Leigh Purtill, author (as Cat Jordan) of Eight Days on Planet Earth
