Overview

For Anokhi, dance is more than art. It's the key to finding her roots. Since she was a child, Anokhi has been haunted by the same vivid vision: a mysterious dancing woman with golden anklet bells and white flowers in her ink-black hair. Her movements are hypnotic, flowing, beautiful. But who is she? And why does Anokhi feel so connected to her? Growing up in small-town Idaho after being adopted from India as a baby, Anokhi has always felt like an outsider, caught between cultures, between reality and her dreams. When her best friend and fellow misfit, Kale, drops out of high school, she does too. Determined to find her place in the world, Anokhi buys a one-way plane ticket to Delhi, away from the woman who raised her and away from Kale, the boy she may or may not be a little bit in love with. When Anokhi's search for answers to her past leads her to South India, she is swept into the magical world of Indian classical dance, which takes her down unexpected paths to discover what-and who-really matters.

Full Product Details

9781967510023

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A meditation on belonging, family, and the transformative power of art. Tender and fierce."" -Seattle Book Review ""Mohini Dasari's Shaila's Dance is a luminous debut-a story that pulses with longing, memory, and the redemptive power of art. With lyrical prose and striking tenderness, Dasari carries us from small-town Idaho to the temples of South India, inviting us into the messy, beautiful work of finding one's roots. Innocence is balanced with emotional maturity, and mythology is woven seamlessly into the human and the divine, creating hypnotic moments where magic feels inevitable. This is more than a novel about dance; it is a meditation on belonging, resilience, and the ties to our mothers and motherlands that stretch across oceans and generations. A deeply moving, unforgettable read."" -Somia Sadiq, author of Gajarah ""In the fascinating coming-of-age novel Shaila's Dance, an adopted woman explores her birth country and finds renewed strength through friendships and love."" -Foreword Clarion Reviews ""Shaila's Dance is well-written fiction presenting a heartfelt devotion to dance and creativity. Mohini has woven concepts of Bharatanatyam into a captivating story reflecting her mastery of this art. For me, as her teacher, this book is a precious gift of our shared lessons transformed into something uniquely her own. It is a proud moment to see her dance training take on a powerful new life through her words."" -Smt. Veena Teli, director, Tarangini Creations School of Dance

Author Information

Mohini Dasari is an Indian American writer whose study of Indian classical dance and time spent living in India inspired many aspects of Shaila's Dance. She is a general surgeon and lives in Washington state with her family.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available