Zippora Karz happened upon ballet because she wanted to follow in her big sister's footsteps. She didn't love it immediately, and was indeed ready to quit her beginner's class when she saw the older girls in their classes and the beautiful movements they followed, and she stuck it out. When her older sister moved on to cheerleading, Zippora stayed with ballet and her younger sister Romy joined in. Soon they were receiving summer scholarships to the New York School of Ballet and following that, scholarships to the year round program. After graduation, Zippora joined the ballet company. Though never technically sure of herself but always aware of her love of the dance, her teachers saw a sparkle in her and she was consistently getting leads and solos within the ballets.
At 21, Zippora has begun noticing fatigue and gross sores on her arms. The fatigue and other non-obvious symptoms she ignores but the sores draw attention from others so she heads off to the doctor who diagnoses her with diabetes. What follows is a ten year struggle to find the right doctor, to get the right diagnosis (type I? type II? With each doctor comes a different diagnosis, and a different plan) and to keep dancing. Through the tumult of her disease, she fights to keep both the ability and the passion to dance.

This book could have easily trudged down a path of self-pity, and an overt heaviness. Ms. Karz contributed neither of these to her book. In an emotionally candid raw story, she found a way to give her story and convey all the struggles and hopes of her story that the I hung onto. The memoir was fast-moving without skipping over moments but not dwelling either. She talked about her youth, her ballet, her hopes, her diseases, and her love life and not once did I feel bored. Rather I ended the book hoping that she found the happiness that had at times seemed to elude her as she struggled to better herself. Betterment that didn't seem to be too necessary. Her expectations for herself were high, and she attained them easily but didn't seem to give herself enough credit where due in those instances. Today, she speaks and works with children and teens with diabetes in helping to understand living with diabetes, and living your life with them, rather than avoiding life to deal with them. This was a beautifully written book and the strength, willpower and determination she minimized throughout is truly inspirational. Thanks to FSB for the copy of the book!