A Time to Dance, by Padma Venkatraman

Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain
her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that
captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam
dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the
power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human
spirit.
 
Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and
breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her
dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause
for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is
painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of
her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with
the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who
approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens,
Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who
she is and what dance truly means to her.

Padma lives in Rhode Island.