THE FLAMENCO ACADEMY
SARAH BIRD
ISBN: 978-0-345-46238-1
October 16, 2007
Ballentine Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Paperback
$13.95
381 pages
Fiction
Rating; 4 cups

Cyndi Rae Hrncir is trying to find her place in her world. Her mom is always wiped out so her dad helps her escape their world together. It just never seems to be enough. She is alone at school and would love to have some more friends. Rae, as she likes being called, has to step out of the shadows that her parents keep her in and break free with her wings. She will not have an easy time with it but might be the most rewarding thing for her yet.

Tomás Montenegro has always believed he came from Gypsy roots and that is why he was pushed so hard to learn how to play Flamenco music. He knew there was something missing to the picture but he couldn’t get anyone to tell him what it was. Meeting Rae changed his life. She got what he was feeling and yet he did not know what he was going to do after seeing her for only one night.

Rae had an obsession in life she had to find Tomás again. She did not know his name or where to find him but she knew he played Flamenco music. With the help of her friend Didi, she hopes she can find him. She signs up for Flamenco classes and falls in love with the dance. Didi becomes the star of the class and so Rae is in someone’s shadow once again. But it all comes back to “Dame la verdad”- Give me the truth. Rae has to figure out who is more important to her. The triangle that connects them will either help or break them completely till there is nothing left. Each character must find out what the truth is for them but will they be able to do that?

Being a student of dance at one time, Flamenco has always fascinated me. There was so much that I learned not only about the dance itself but the passion that lies behind it. Emotions are central to making the dance work and Rae is able to find an outlet for all of the emotions she kept buried for so long. Ms. Bird has a wonderful story and it is full of secrets, desires, and longings that are very easy to relate to. Rae kept me reading because I needed to know how she would deal with all the problems that arose in her life. This book fascinated me even from just the blurb on the back of the book. Once it dug deep into the lives of the characters, I found I could not tear myself away from it. This is worth your time to read because it will give you an education in life and love.

Krista
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books