Maggie Shipstead's new novel, Astonish Me, is a compelling glimpse into the demanding world of professional ballet and its magnetic hold over two generations.
While garnering terrific reviews, Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga will host an interview and book signing with Shipstead. She will be interviewed by Darlene Myers, the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Northeast Ballet and Myers Dance Center.
Astonish Me is the story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the background.
She raises provocative questions about the nature of talent, the choices we must make in search of fulfillment, and how we square the yearning for comfort with the demands of art.
