‘A novel you must read … Shipstead has captured the mercurial flow of artistic genius’ Washington Post ‘A dazzling story rooted in the competitive world of dance’ Woman & Home ‘Very well-written, and cleverly constructed with some elegant pirouettes of its own in the story’s twists and turns’ Daily Mail ‘So graceful, so dazzling, so sure-handed and fearless, that at times I had to remind myself to breathe’ Maria Semple ‘Maggie Shipstead's multi-generational international drama of professional ballet applies a razor-sharp scalpel of intelligence and perception to areas of the art than most of us never knew existed’ Louisa Young ‘A gripping, thoughtful and tightly-written novel, where ballet acts as an effective metaphor for all aspirations and disappointments’ Observer From the prize-winning author of Seating Arrangements comes an exquisitely written, fiercely compelling glimpse into the demanding world of professional ballet and its magnetic hold over two generations.

Astonish me