A bold and emotionally gripping novel about a teenage Latinx girl finding freedom through dance and breaking expectations in 1980s Minnesota.
When sixteen-year-old Rosa Dominguez pirouettes, she is poetry in pointe shoes. And as the daughter of a tyrant ballet Master, Rosa seems destined to become the star principal dancer of her studio. But Rosa would do anything for one hour in the dance studio upstairs where Prince, the Purple One himself, is in the house.
After her father announces their upcoming auditions for a concert with Prince, Rosa is more determined than ever to succeed. Then Nikki--the cross-dressing, funky boy who works in the dance shop--leaps into her life. Weighed down by family expectations, Rosa is at a crossroads, desperate to escape so she can show everyone what she can do when freed of her pointe shoes. Now is her chance to break away from a life in tulle, grooving to that unmistakable Minneapolis sound reverberating through every bone in her body.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
When sixteen-year-old Rosa Dominguez pirouettes, she is poetry in pointe shoes. And as the daughter of a tyrant ballet Master, Rosa seems destined to become the star principal dancer of her studio. But Rosa would do anything for one hour in the dance studio upstairs where Prince, the Purple One himself, is in the house.
After her father announces their upcoming auditions for a concert with Prince, Rosa is more determined than ever to succeed. Then Nikki--the cross-dressing, funky boy who works in the dance shop--leaps into her life. Weighed down by family expectations, Rosa is at a crossroads, desperate to escape so she can show everyone what she can do when freed of her pointe shoes. Now is her chance to break away from a life in tulle, grooving to that unmistakable Minneapolis sound reverberating through every bone in her body.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Praise for this book
"Torres crafts characters so real I can feel their heartbeats as strong as Prince's Purple Rain guitar solo. You won't forget this incredibly compelling story that goes beyond a girl just finding out who she is--but how to be the change the world isn't ready for yet. A must read for anyone with a heart." - Dante Medema
"With masterfully drawn characters, complex relationships, and gripping prose, Torres has given the world a story that will cling to hearts and minds long after its final words. Hauntingly gorgeous." - Laura Taylor Namey
"With masterfully drawn characters, complex relationships, and gripping prose, Torres has given the world a story that will cling to hearts and minds long after its final words. Hauntingly gorgeous." - Laura Taylor Namey
Used availability for Vanessa L Torres's The Turning Pointe