A Time to Dance

For all her life, Veda has seen her dancing as an accomplishment - a test of her flexibility and artistry. After her accident, though, she is told she can never dance again with her prosthetic leg. Undeterred, she joins a new school - one that focuses on the spirituality behind Bharata Natyam - and begins to relearn each step from the very beginning.

I danced Bharata Natyam when I was much littler than I am now, so there were parts of the story that seemed like an extra treat for me, but even readers who are not familiar with the dance form will find this story a wonderful experience. Venkatraman’s poetry (the book is told in verse) paints a vivid picture of life in modern Chennai, of relationships between friends and family, and of discovering new ways of looking at the world.