A Time to Dance, by Padma Venkatraman (SB at EG)

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.