Tammy Greenwood

I really liked it!

The Still Point follows a story of Ballet girls and their moms. The competition, the tension.
We have multiple narrators: Bea and her mom Ever, Lindsey (Olive’s mom) and Josie ( Savvy’s mom). There are also more characters and I found it very easy to follow them.

The book is not specifically about the Ballet but more about everyone’s life drama and circumstances. How one’s personal life problems and views can reflect on the decisions and mental problems of the surrounded family and friends.

It was raw and provocative. Competing and problematic. Jealousy can lead to drama, when love, acceptance and gratitude can manifested positive outcomes and future success.

I loved the characters development. I really think anyone would enjoy this book.… (mehr)

The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood

A well written story that made me once again wonder if parents help their children fulfill dreams of or if they push their children to live out the dreams they once had for themselves. As a child, I wanted to take ballet classes but was never allowed to do so. I love attending ballet and have enjoyed stories and movies since childhood that had ballet as the theme. As I began to read, I realized that this was not a book I was willing to invest time in reading word for word. I could not relate to the mothers or their daughters, become invested in the plot, or feel moved. In the end, I read the first part, the end, and skimmed the middle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars… (mehr)

Fieldnotes:
Costa de la Luna, California, Contemporary (p.2024)

3 Mothers
3 Daughters
1 Enfant Terrible Ballet Master from Paris
3 Male Dancers
1 Documentary Crew
1 Scholarship to Paris

1 Friendship Betrayal
Backstabbing
Grief
Money Troubles
Burnout
Ambition
Arson

The Short Version:
This isn't really my usual genre, but I was intrigued by the premise centered around ballet (and a documentary around ballet). More about the difficulties the mothers face - the sacrifices, the thwarted ambition and the fraught relationship with ambitious (or not) teenaged daughters than it is about ballet.

I enjoyed this well enough and it would make a great mini-series (with beautiful dancing). Still the tone was mostly more melancholy/serious than I would have liked.… (mehr)