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. Poignant and powerful, this emotional story of friendship, healing and new beginnings is thought-provoking and compelling. 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.

The Art of Falling is a spectacular debut novel that is utterly captivating from beginning to end. This novel is to be published January 2014.

The title itself is symbolism: a physical fall, learning to love and to accept, death that brings life, movement that brings joy. I was swept up in the lyrical prose, twirled into the mounting drama, swooped high and low with the poignant, raw emotion of anguish, rejection, then hope and resilience.Ĭraft’s debut novel tells the story of a dancer’s life, her struggle with body image, her sacrifice and self-denial, her striving to “live up to” expectations from her mother, her dance teachers, her dance partners. I was honored to read an Advance Reader Copy. The Art of Falling by Kathryn Craft is such a novel. I can’t put it down, but I don’t want it to end, and it stays in my periphery long afterward. It’s a story that grabs my heart and soul and I can’t get enough. It’s “mind candy,” pure entertainment, escape fiction.īut once in awhile I come across a book that stays with me-while I’m reading it and long after I’ve finished. Usually I go from one to the next, like another handful of potato chips and promptly forget what I’ve just read.

I've had the pleasure of pursuing many of my passions in life, including reading, lake sports, horses (foxhunting and beginning dressage), dance (as dancer, choreographer, teacher, and dance critic), and now writing, which brings it all together.

It beings me endless pleasure to help other people improve their writing game, and I love any event that brings writers together, which explains why I spend so much time supporting writing groups like the Women's Fiction Writer's Association, the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, the Philadelphia Writers' Conference, and Pennwriters, as well as leading workshops and hosting writing retreats for women. It has been my privilege to raise two fine sons in the wake of their father's suicide, which taught us to grab the gusto and feed our spirits. I so appreciate its warm reception!ĭespite this trial I live a joy-filled life. My second published novel, The Far End of Happy, is the culmination of a 17-year calling to write about my first husband's suicide and the impact it had on our family and community, an event that seared itself so indelibly into our lives that I constrained the story to its 12 hours.

The art of falling kathryn craft