Veda is a classical Bharatanatyam dancer at her technical best when a car accident forces doctors to amputate her right leg below the knee. She never once gives in to despair that she will never dance again, but her journey to relearn her art is far from easy. Frustrated by the new limitations of her body, Veda must learn to accept help from those around her and to reconnect to the spiritual yearning for dance she had as a child. In the process, she becomes a more compassionate and deeply spiritual person herself, willing and able to help others do the same.
"'My old teacher didn't think I could dance again./ But dance isn't about who you are on the outside./ It's about how you feel inside.'/ I place my palms together in front of me,/ symbolizing the two leaves of a closed door./ Move them apart, slowly, opening the door./ 'In class, you need to shut out/ sad thoughts and mean words./ So dance can let you/ enter another world./ A world where you feel Shiva inside you./ Where you grow beautiful and strong and good,/ because Shiva is goodness and strength and beauty.'"
This deeply spiritual and highly researched novel in verse by Padma Venkatraman is a must read for anyone who is a sucker for dance stories, as well as for anyone searching for spiritual peace within themselves.
