As if the world of ballet wasn't physically difficult enough, this great read gives us a glimpse into the other underlying demons many people in ballet face--the perfection of their body (and denying it nutrition), fierce competition, and rejection...especially if you don't fit into the typical "body" mold, as Penny does not.

Penny is a relatable (and somewhat complicated) character. Her two unlikely friends and supporters, Angela and Marty, are likable and endearing. Her journey in the story is so much more about "falling" out of a fourteen-story window. It is about whether we can ever dip to that low point and pick ourselves up again. Does Penny? Well, you'll have to read this great book to find out!
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First off, a disclaimer: this is not a book I would have ever picked up, as I know nothing about dance or the dance world, and never had any desire to learn. If I saw it in the bookstore, I'd assume it was along the lines of that short-lived TV show, Bunheads, which I also never looked at. But I had taken a writing workshop with the author, Kathryn Craft, and was thrilled with how much she taught us about story, so I knew I had to read The Art of Falling when it was released.

It's an understatement to say I was not disappointed. As a writer, Ms. Craft "walks the walk" of what she teaches. The Art of Falling was a pitch-perfect example of fine storytelling. As readers:

-We care about the protagonist
-We watch her grow
-We experience surprises throughout the book
-We rejoice in the protagonist's accomplishments and cry at her defeats
-We hate to see it end

As I only have time to read at night, I lost many hours of sleep during the week I read this book, often staying up after midnight to 'just finish this chapter.' I thoroughly enjoyed The Art of Falling, and can't wait for Ms. Kraft's next book. ( )

The Art of Falling is a spectacular debut novel that is utterly captivating from beginning to end. This in-depth look into the world of dance is quite fascinating and Kathryn Craft does not gloss over the physical and mental toll the sport can sometimes take on dancers. Poignant and powerful, this emotional story of friendship, healing and new beginnings is thought-provoking and compelling.

Her whole life has been dedicated to dance, but broken in both body and spirit, Penelope "Penny" Sparrow is trying to make sense of her life after surviving a horrific fall. With no place else to go, she finds herself back in her mother's house where she is forced to come to terms with her lifelong struggle with body image. But it is through the two people she meets at the lowest point in her life that Penny learns life's most valuable lessons. Angela Reed offers Penny something that has long been absent from her life: friendship, unconditional love and acceptance. Marty Kandelbaum literally saved Penny's life and his gentle wisdom and his willingness to take a chance on love after tragedy provides her a new perspective on both her past and her future.

Penny is in a very dark place at the beginning of The Art of Falling. Her body is not typical for a dancer and she has fought to find her niche in the dancing world. When her dream job and romance end, Penny is overwhelmed with doubts about herself-her talent, her body and her accomplishments. In the aftermath of her fall, Penny battles depression as she faces her fear that she might never dance again but with the encouragement of Angela and Kandelbaum, Penny comes to a new understanding of herself and the people in her life.

Angela and Kandelbaum are an excellent cast of secondary characters and I absolutely adored them. Angela is upbeat and positive despite her health issues and their friendship is a wonderful chance for Penny to focus on someone but herself. Kandelbaum is a sweet, spiritual man with a very calming presence and although he has suffered a great loss, he is a ray of sunshine. Their friendship reminds Penny of how much she let slip away when she became so focused on her career and the man who ultimately betrayed her.

One of the most difficult story arcs is Penny's relationship with her mother Evelyn. Penny's disdain of her mother's weight overshadows all of the good that Evelyn has done for Penny. Penny is concerned about the health risks obesity poses for Evelyn, but it also propels Penny to count calories and meticulously maintain a strict diet. Evelyn is not the typical stage mother, pushing her daughter to succeed. Instead she gives Penny the opportunity to pursue her dream even when that means stepping out of Penny's life. Although Penny does not always see it, Evelyn is her biggest supporter and she goes to great lengths to protect Penny. It is intensely gratifying to see them repair their fractured relationship and come to a better understanding of each other.

Kathryn Craft's The Art of Falling is a beautiful mix of heartache and hope as Penny finds her way back from the brink of despair. The mystery surrounding her fall is intriguing and uncovering the truth takes the reader and Penny on a phenomenal journey of growth and self-discovery. An impressive first novel that I heartily recommend. ( )

The basic idea of the story is OK : dancer falls mysteriously and suffers severe injury. ..establishes friendships through the treatment process, regains confidence and strength. ..Has conflicts with people on the way...Relationship with mother is problematic. However I found the execution of this story idea to be not very much to my liking. Right at the outset the premise is dodgy: woman survives 14 story fall by landing on a box on donuts on the roof of a baker's van. The story that follows is somewhat romantic and certainly sentimental. There are serious sides to the book (eating disorders in dancers, mother-daughter relationships), but I saw no particularly profound insights into those serious issues. ( )

Penelope Sparrow is a dancer. For reasons she can’t seem to remember, she has jumped off of a 14-story building and woken up in the hospital alive.

Penelope Sparrow’s story tries to be a lot of things. It tries to be a story of finding oneself using the metaphor of modern dance. It tries to be a treatise on the inner-mind of a woman with an eating disorder. It tries to be an interconnected tale of the different ways love comes to us in our lives. It tries to be far too many things at once and because of it’s over-zealousness all of these threads end up flat and lifeless.

Penelope Sparrow is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve encountered recently, and in my opinion, she does not redeem herself at the end like I hoped she would. She is so incredibly self-centered, self-involved, and selfish that by the time she finally realizes that through her new best friend she as “experienced a kind of love I’d never known before” it seems forced and ultimately untrue. We are supposed to believe that Penny has opened herself to love but all I saw was someone that made her friend’s illness more about herself and her own pain than anything else.

Perhaps most uncomfortable in the story is Penelope Sparrow’s relationship with her mother. The reader is supposed to believe, based on Penny’s POV, that her mother has been a demanding task-master that has cared about nothing other than living her own dream of dance through her daughter. What we actually see, however, is a loving, supportive mother that has given up her life and dreams FOR her daughter and in return has lived through 28 years of tantrums. Penny spends the entire book commenting on her mother’s weight - in the first half being openly disgusted with how “fat” her mother is, and in the second half constantly commenting on her mother’s new “slimmer figure” as if that has somehow made her a better human being.

I could sit and pick apart ever other relationship Penny has in the book and how she treats everyone in her life like utter trash, but I think my point is made. I do want to mention how, after working 3 days in a candy factory, she complains how “this job is killing me” - it was such a clear illustration of how spoiled and privileged her life is (and clearly always will be) that I had to laugh out loud.

Everyone else in Penelope Sparrow’s story was wonderful, and each one deserved a better friend, and a better daughter. ( )