Hope In A Ballet Shoe

Description

Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, Michaela DePrince witnesses atrocities that no child ever should. Her father is killed by rebels and her mother dies of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela is mistreated because of her skin condition, vitiligo. But there is hope: the Harmattan wind blows a magazine through the orphanage gates. Michaela picks it up and sees a beautiful image of a young woman dancing. One day, she thinks, I want to be this happy. And then Michaela is adopted by an American couple. She can take the dance lessons she's dreamed of since finding her picture. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it's haunting her. The world of ballet can be racist, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, despite hearing the words "America's not ready for a black girl ballerina". Incredibly, today Michaela is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of 19. This inspirational true story is perfect for fans of I am Malala.

Promotion info

A heartwrenching, life-affirming true story of a young girl orphaned by war and saved by ballet.

Author description

Michaela DePrince was born in 1995 in Sierra Leone. After the deaths of her parents, she moved to an orphanage from which she was adopted and taken to the US in 1999. Michaela is now a professional ballerina and dances with The Dutch National Ballet. She is recognised throughout the world as an inspirational woman: she featured in Huffington Post's Most Amazing Young People of the Year and Newsweek's 125 Women of Impact and has spoken at the United Nations.